


A Mad Man and His Bigger on the Inside Blue Box

by crazhetalia



Series: The Time Witch Chronicles [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cussing, F/M, Light Flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 13:31:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 83,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3490046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazhetalia/pseuds/crazhetalia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>London has always been an unusual place, you leave behind the one full of magic and step into the one with a Mad Man. If you want a quiet life full of tea and crumpets, I suggest staying away from them, especially the ones with a Blue Box. But me and my luck, I just so happen upon the mad man of all mad men who took my hand and said "run". Well, so much for tea and crumpets. But this man, the mad man with the bigger on the inside blue box, is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He's unusual, yes, but caring. I will never regret running that night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jessamine

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or Harry Potter, but I wish I did.

"Good morning, Rose." I waved to her from my spot at the cash register.

"Morning, Jessa!" she waved back and started to fold the loose shirts on a display that was close to the register I was working at. "So, how was the date with that Ben fella?" I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"It was . . . okay, I guess." I started checking out a customer before she could reply back but doesn't mean she won't forget. After the customer left, she bombarded me with her curiosity.

"What do you mean by okay? I thought you two looked lovely together."

"What I mean was that he was boring and only talked about himself and how he was so successful, that I should feel lucky that he wanted to date a "common girl" like me." I looked over my shoulder, my grass green eyes connecting with her light brown. "So I popped him in the mouth and went home." Smirking when I heard her snickering.

Hours had pass by and it was time to close the store. Rose and I were finishing up folding some shirts, when the security guard came to me and hands me a package.

"I can go with you, Jessa, if you want?" Rose asked me with concern in her eyes.

"I'll be fine. You go on home and I'll meet you there." I walk over to the lift and enter it. I left the lift once it arrived in the basement.

"Wilson?" I go further down the corridor. _'Maybe I should of had Rose come with me.'_ "Wilson, I've got the lottery money. Wilson?" I knock on the door with HP Wilson CEO on it. "You there? Look, they're closing the shop and I need to get home. Wilson!" there was a sudden nosie further down the corridor. I turned my head in the direction it had come from in curiosity. _'Curiosity killed the cat, Jessamine.'_ The little voice in the back of my head said to me, "Yeah, and satisfaction brought it back." Was my reply to it.

"Hello? Wilson, its Jessamine." I stopped outside a fire door for a moment, I open it and find myself in a room that's used to store shop dummies. I turn on the lights and walk further into the room. "Wilson!" I was getting aggravated. I try another door at the side. The fire door I entered closed abruptly. I sighed at myself, _'This is like all the horror movies show you what not to do.'_ Behind me, a dummy turns its head on its own accord, I turn around just in time to see it step out of its alcove and towards me. I don't move and just watch it. The dummy is soon join by two more. I finally start moving when all of the dummies are alive. I tripped over a box and quickly pulled myself up again. I'm about to pull my wand out when a hand grabs mine. I snap my head to look at the owner of the hand.

"Run."

We began to run, just in time, through a fire exit. The dummies are in pursuit. The mysterious man leads me into a lift, _'Yet another tip the horror movies tell you what not to do.'_ The doors close on one of the dummy's arms. The man pulls it off and the doors close. I looked over to the man in shock.

"You pulled his arm off . . . your mad!" I said backing away from him.

"Yep!" I have no idea if he was agreeing to the first part or the second part of what I said to him. He toss the arm to me, I catch it on insists and look at it, "Plastic."

"So it's not a trick? How did they come to life then?" I asked my curiosity getting the better of me again. The man grins at me, making me think that he likes me and my questions.

"Very good questions. Well done."

"Thanks?" It sound more like a question then anything else. "Well whatever they are, Wilson going to call the police, once he finds them that is."

"Who's Wilson?"

"Chief electrician." I answered to him.

"Wilson's dead." He steps out of the lift. I follow him.

"Really? That's too bad." I said indifferently.

"Hold on!" he pushes me to the side. "Mind your eyes." He points what looks like a screwdriver at the lift, making it spark.

"I've had enough now." I muttered and walked after the man. "Who are you? And what were those things down there? Please, answer me!" I was getting aggravated again.

"They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof. Which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this." He shows me an electronic device, "So!" he opens a fire exit for me. "I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process." That made me freeze up in my spot, "But don't worry about me, no. Go home, go on! Go and have your lovely beans on toast." I made a face at the mention food, I began to walk through the door before stopping and turning to look at the man.

"You're a mad man but a brave one, don't have much of those lately." I kissed him on the cheek, "Good luck, madman." I walked the rest of the way.

"Thank you. Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed." He shuts the door. I turn away and start to walk away. I don't get very far before the door opens again. "I'm the Doctor, by the way, what's your name?"

"Jessamine." I said with a light smile to him.

"Nice to meet you, Jessamine. Run for your life." He shuts the door again and I began to run. Outside, nobody knows what's going on. I'm so distracted that I nearly get run over by a taxi.

"Watch it!"

I proceed to get as far away from the building as possible and look back just in time to see the top floor blow up. I gasp and run home – pasting a blue police box. News 24 is on the telly. Rose and I sat on the sofa, watching it.

"The whole of Central London has been closed off as police investigate the fire. Earlier reports in the. . ."

The dummy's arm is lying on a chair. Mum walks in holding a phone to her ear.

"I know, it's on the telly! It's everywhere! She's lucky to be alive!" she hands me a mug of tea, I take it with a soft smile to her. "Honestly, it's aged her. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now you'd think I was **HER** daughter! Oh and here's himself . . ." I turn to see Mickey appear in the doorway and rolled my eyes and went over to Mum to get away from the couple, sipping my tea.

"I've been phoning your mobile, you could've been dead! It's on the news and everything! I can't believe that your shop went up!" I scoffed at him and send him a glare. He hugs Rose.

"I'm alright! I wasn't even there when it went up. It was Jessa that was there when it happen. She was shaking so bad last night, didn't sleep a wink!" Rose turned to me with concern written over face. Mickey turned to me, now with the same amount of concern.

"Well, what happened?" I shrugged at him,

"Dunno."

"What was it though, what caused it?" I sighed.

"I wasn't in the shop, I was outside, and I didn't see anything but the roof get blown off." Mum walks back in,

"It's Debbie on the other end, and she knows a man from the Mirror – five hundred quid for an interview!" I turned to her with my hand out.

"Oh that's brilliant! Give it here!" I take the phone and hang it up. "Well, you've gotta find some way of making money. Your jobs kaput and I'm not bailing you out." The phone rings again and she answers it. "Beth! She's alive!" I rolled my eyes at her as she leaves the room, "I tell ya, sue for compensation! She was within seconds of death. . ."

"What're you drinking? Tea? No, no no, that's no good, that's no good. You're in shock, you need something stronger." He takes my honey sweeten peppermint tea out of my hands. "Why?" I growled out.

"You deserve a proper drink, you, Rose and me, we're going down the pub, my treat. How about it?" I took my tea back and shook my head, I hated alcohol. Rose gets up from the couch, smiling at Mickey.

"Is there a match on?" he turns to look at her,

"I'm just thinking about you, Babe!"

"There's a match on." I said sitting back on the couch.

"Well, that's not the point. We could catch the last five minutes." I shook my head. "Go on then. We're fine, really. Go. Get rid of that. . ." She gestures to the dummy arm I brought home. Mickey points to his lips and Rose gives him a kiss, I make loud gagging sounds at them, making them roll their eyes. He pushes her back onto the chair and they laugh. He gets up to go and Rose puts a leg out to trip him. Mickey picks up the arm and waves with it.

"Buh Bye!"

"Bye!" Rose and I said at the same time. Mickey pretends to strangle himself with the arm and leaves. We both shake our heads fondly and turn our attention back to the news.

". . . fire then spread throughout the store . . . there is very little chance of saving the infrastructure. . ." Rose and I were having breakfast, listening to mum talk about new jobs.

"There's Finches . . . you could try them. They've always got jobs." I gagged on the piece of toast I was eating.

"No, thanks." I said after drinking some of my tea.

"Oh, great. The butchers."

"Well it might do you both some good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I'm not joking about getting compensation – Jessa, you had genuine shock and trauma! Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek! I know she **IS** Greek, but that's not the point – it's a valid claim." I rolled my eyes and began to hear rattling, I stood up and walked over to the front door.

"Mum, you're such a liar, I told you to nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays!"

"I did it weeks back!"

"No, you thought about it." I muttered to myself. I raise an eyebrow when I discover the screws on the floor. The cat flap moves violently. I jerked back, I moved my hand and poked the cat flap open gingerly. The Doctor's face is right outside it. "What?!" I open the door.

"What're you doing here?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I live here."

"Well, what do you do that for?"

"Why do we do anything, really? I'm home because I've no job to go to right now." The Doctor gets out that screwdriver thingy again.

"Must've got the wrong signal. You're not plastic, are you?" he knocks on my forehead. "No, bonehead. Bye, then!" he makes to go, but I pull him back inside.

"You, inside. Right now." I shut the door.

"Who is it?" I heard mum's voice from her room. I poke my head into her bedroom.

"It's about last night, he's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes, mum." I left him there to go talk to Rose for a minute.

"She deserves compensation."

"Huh, we're talking millions." The doctor leans against the doorframe, waiting for me to come back. Mum looks at him for a moment and stands up, flirtatiously.

"I'm in my dressing gown."

"Yes, you are."

"There's a strange man in my bedroom."

"Yes, there is."

"Well, anything could happen." I got there in time to hear the Doctor's answer.

"No." the Doctor walk off to the living room, with mum pulling a face at his back. I giggled softly to myself earning a wink from the Doctor.

"Don't mind the mess. Do you want a coffee?"

"Might as well, thanks! Just milk." I was about to go make it when Rose popped up from the couch.

"I'll make it, Jessa." I nodded my head in thanks.

"So I'm guessing calling the police is out of the question?" I asked as the Doctor picks up a gossip magazine.

"That won't last, he's gay and she's an alien." I sighed

"Umm… Doctor? What do we need to do?" I asked again. The Doctor picks up a book and flicks through it.

"Sad ending." I sat back on the couch with a frown,

"I happen to like sad endings." The Doctor still ignoring me, picks up an envelope and reads it.

"Jessamine Tyler." I perked up when he said my name. He turns to look in the mirror. "Ahh, could've been worse!" he prods his large ears. "Look at me' ears."

"You could fly with those things, like Dumbo." I mumbled. The Doctor shuffles a pick of cards. "Luck be a lady!"

"Oh god, please don't sing." I put my faces in my hands, watching him through the cracks of my fingers. He shuffles the cards again and manages to make them all go flying. I began to snicker at him.

"Maybe not." I, then, hear scuffling from behind my seat on the sofa. I jumped up and away from it. "What's that then? You got a cat?"

"No." I told him. I watch as the Doctor leans behind the sofa and the dummy's arm leaps out and grabs him by the neck. I began to help him from being strangle to death by the hand. We finally got it off and it attached to my face, I gasp in shock. The Doctor leaps up and tries to pull it off. We crash onto the coffee table, breaking it, and roll onto the floor. The Doctor pushes me back onto the sofa and gets out that screwdriver and disabled the hand.

"It's alright, I've stopped it. There you go, you see?" he tosses it at me. "'Armless."

"Do you think?" I use it to whack him hard on the shoulder.

"Ow!" Rose comes running out of the kitchen.

"Jessa! Are you okay?"

"Fine, Rose." I then notice that the Doctor has left. I run out of the flat with Rose behind me. He's running down the stairs with us on his tail. Rose finally speaks up about the situation,

"Hold on a minute, you can't just go swanning off."

"Yes I can. Here I am, this is me, swanning off. See ya." I stopped a few steps behind him and turn to Rose.

"Rose, maybe we should listen to him, he seems to know what he's doing." The look she gave me basically said she wasn't going to drop it.

"That arm was moving, it tried to kill Jessa!" I sighed at her, I was fine.

"Ten out of ten for observation." Well, he sure is rude.

"You can't just walk away, that's not fair! You've got to tell us what's going on."

"No I don't." we reached the bottom of the stairs, and go through the doors.

"Alright then. We'll go to the police. We'll tell everyone. You told Jessa, if she did that, she'd get people killed. So, your choice. Tell us, or we'll start talking." I turned to look at her in horror at what she just said.

"Rose, I . . . why would you say that?" she and the Doctor turn to look at me, "I won't be the cause for any more deaths, Rose. So drop it!" I finished off in a yell at her. I turned to the so called Doctor, now extremely pissed off. "Who the hell are you?!" my hands clinch into fists.

"I told you! The Doctor!" I could tell he was just as angry as I was from what Rose said.

"Yeah. But Doctor what?" Rose asked,

"More like Doctor Who." I scoffed at her.

"Just the Doctor." He was calming down, smiling at what I said.

"The Doctor." Rose stated dryly.

"Hello!" boy, was this man bipolar or something.

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?" Rose said snidely to him.

"Sort of." The Doctor shrugged seeming a bit stung at what Rose said. I stepped over to him with my hand out to him.

"Well, if it's any consultation I find it impressive. It's nice to meet you, Doctor. I'm Jessamine Tyler and the blonde is Rose Tyler, my little sister." He shook hands with me.

"Nice to properly meet you, Jessamine." Rose budges in between us bringing the attention to her.

"Come on. You can tell us. She's seen an enough. Are you the police?"

"No. I was just passing through. I'm a long way from home." That made me turn a questioning glance at him.

"But what has she done wrong? How comes those plastic things keep coming after her?" the Doctor turned on me with a sneer on his face.

"Oh! Suddenly the entire world revolves around you! You were just an accident, you got in the way, that's all." I jerked my head back as if he slapped me. Rose looked ready to slap him.

"It tried to kill her!"

"It was after me, not her! Last night, in the shop, I was there, she blundered it. Almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down . . . the only reason it fixed on her is that she met me." That's when I pushed Rose out of the way with an angry look on my face.

"So, what you're saying is, the entire world revolves around you." I put my hands on my hips, frown upon my face.

"Sort of, yeah."

"You're so full of it!" I hissed out.

"Sort of, yeah." I stared at him for a minute, then closed my eyes and sighed. I open my eyes and take the arm off him.

"Okay, start from the beginning, please."

"If you're gonna go with this living plastic, and we don't even believe that, but if we do . . . how did you kill it?" she looked over to me, "Jessa? You don't believe this right?" I looked up from the ground.

"Well, yeah I do. I mean, I had an army of shop dummies after me and then one of their arms attacked me, so yeah, I trust what the Doctor is saying is true." the Doctor smiled at me, I just nod my head back in reply.

"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead."

"So that's radio control?" I sighed at her.

"No, Rose, it's thought control." there was an awkward silence after that.

"Are you alright, Jessamine?" I nodded not looking at him but out to the sky daydreaming of what was beyond the cloudy, gray sky, missing his frown.

"Yeah. So, who's controlling it, then?" I ask as an afterthought.

"Long story." he supplied me, I looked over to him, seeing his look, and I sighed and looked back to the sky.

"Really though, Doctor. Tell me - who are you?" I turned my whole body to him, as he stopped walking.

"Do you know like we were saying? About the Earth revolving?" he walks back to me, as I was closest. "It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like its standing still. I can feel it." he takes my hand in his, "The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me. Clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go . . ." he lets go of my hand. "That's who I am. Now, forget me, Jessamine Tyler." He takes the arm and waves it in my face. "Go home." He walks away. I watch his retreating back and then start to walk backwards to Rose, still watching the Doctor. The Doctor steps into a blue police box. I stare with wide eyes as I watch the box disappear with a loud sound. Rose took me to Mickey's flat. Mickey lets us in after we knocked on his door.

"Yahey, there's my women!" he slaps Rose bum. "Kit off!" I made a disgusted face at him.

"I'm not your woman." I grumbled at him, not wanting to be here in the first place.

"Shut up." Mickey gives her a kiss, "Mwah!"

"Ugh!" I stuffed my head into my arms. "Coffee?" Mickey asked us.

"Yeah, only if you wash the mug. And I don't mean rinse, I mean wash. Can I use your computer?"

"No, I don't like coffee and you know that, Rickey." He glared at me.

"Yeah. Any excuse to get in the bedroom." Mickey goes into the kitchen. Rose takes me by the arm and drags me into his bedroom and closes the door behind us.

"Don't read my emails!" Rose turns on his computer. I watch from behind her shoulder as she types in "Doctor" into the search engine.

"Rose, what are you doing?" I asked her, as no relevant results are found. She types in "Doctor Living Plastic". There's still nothing. "Rose, he said to leave him be." I told her but she ignored me. She types "Doctor Blue Box". The first result reads "Doctor Who – do you know this man? Contact Clive here . . ."

"Rose! We're not supposed to tell anyone about him!" she clicks on "Contact Clive" ignoring me again. Clive's name shows up in my mind onto the list, the list of the to die. Mickey, Rose, and I sat in the car, with me being force to listen to them bicker at each other.

"You're not coming in! He's safe, he's got a wife and kids." Rose said to Mickey.

"Yeah but who told you that? He did. That's exactly what an Internet lunatic murderer would say." I fully agreed with him on this, but Rose got out of the car anyway, grinning, forcing me out of the car. Mickey didn't look too happy and gives a man putting out his rubbish the evils. Rose knocks on the door of the house and it's answered by a boy of about eleven, I say.

"Uh, hello, we've come to see Clive? We've been emailing." I said to the boy.

"Dad! It's two of your nutters!" our eyes widening in shock at the boy, who we now know is Clive's son. Clive appears behind him.

"Sorry. Hello. You must be Rose and Jessa. I'm Clive. Obviously!" we shook hands with him and as I did, I claimed his soul as collected.

"I better tell you now – my boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're going to kill us!" we laughed.

"No, good point. No murders." He waves to Mickey who nods, still distrustful, as he should be.

"Who is it?" we all turn our heads to the stairs.

"Oh it's something to do with the Doctor! They've been reading the website. Please come through, I'm in the shed." I stared at him in shock, _'The shed!'_ Clive's wife, Caroline, came down the stairs carrying a washing basket.

"They? They read a website about the Doctor? They is two girls?" she smiles ironically and shuts the door. Clive shows us around the shed, which is short of a shrine to the Doctor, which isn't creepy at all.

"A lot of this stuff's quite sensitive, I couldn't just send it to you. People might intercept it, if you know what I mean. If you dig deep enough - keep a lively mind - this Doctor keeps cropping up all over the place. Political diaries, conspiracy theories. Even ghost stories. No first name, no last name. Just 'The Doctor'. Always The Doctor. And the title seems to have been passed down from father to son, it appears to be an inheritance. That's your Doctor there, isn't it?" he points to a photo of the Doctor on a computer screen behind us.

"Yeah." I said softly.

"I tracked it down to the Washington public archive last year. The online photo's enhanced, but if we look at the original . . ." he shows us some photographs of the Doctor standing in a crowd. "November the 22nd, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy." I looked at it in unbelievable shock. It was the same man straight down to his Dumbo ears.

"Must be his father. . ." Rose said to Clive.

"Going further back . . . April 1912." He brings over a photo album. "This is a photo of the Daniels family, Southampton. And friend." He points to the Doctor, standing with them. "This was taken the day before they were due to sail off for the New World. On the Titanic. And for some unknown reason, they cancelled the trip and survived. And . . ." he shows us a sketch. "1883. Another Doctor. And look the same lineage. He's identical. This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra on the very day Krakatoa exploded. The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He has a storm in his wake. And he has one constant companion." I looked over to Clive.

"Who's that?" Rose asked him.

"Death." Clive and I said in unison. He turns to look at me.

"If the Doctor's back . . . if you've seen him, Jessa . . . then one thing's for certain – we're all in danger. If he's singled you out . . . if the Doctor's making house calls . . . then God help you." I back away from him, moving closer to Rose.

"Who is he? Who do you think he is?" Rose asked him as she took my hand.

"I think he's the same man. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world." Rose and I came back to the car, she started talking before she's even got in.

"Alright! He's a nutter! Off his head! **COMPLETE** online conspiracy freak. You win! Oof." We get into the car. I started to notice that the person sitting at the wheel isn't Mickey and that it looks like a plastic replica of him. Rose seems not to take any notice. So I stay quiet until I'm needed.

"What're going to do tonight? I fancy a pizza." Rose spoke up, looking at me from the review mirror.

"Pizzaaa! P-p-p-pizza!" the not-Mickey sputtered, I looked at it wearily.

". . . or Chinese . . ." I said to Rose not looking away from not-Mickey.

"Pizza!" not-Mickey yelled and drove off in a wobbly line. Rose, not-Mickey, and I sat at a table for three in a restaurant. Rose was being Rose, talking about herself.

"Do you think I should try the hospital? Suki said they had a few jobs going in the canteen. That's it then . . . dishing out chips . . . I could do A levels . . ." not-Mickey stares at me, grinning. "I dunno. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him, and look where he ended up. What do you think?"

"So, where did you meet this Doctor?" not-Mickey asked me. I stared at him, blankly.

"I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second?" I rolled my eyes at Rose's attitude.

"Because, I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Is he something to do with that?" he was still looking at me.

"No . . ." I shook my head.

"Come on." I shook my head again, now feeling a bit of fear for the not-Mickey. "What was he doing there?"

"We're not going on about him, Mickey, I'm not, because I know it sounds daft but . . . I don't think he's safe. I think he's dangerous." I snapped my head to look at Rose, with a raised eyebrow. _'Really? Now she starts believing that he's dangerous.'_

"But you can trust me sweetheart!" then in quick succession, "Babe, sugar, darling, sugar." Rose looked confused while I looked horrified. "You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose and Jessa. Because that's all I really wanna do, sweetheart, babe, sugar, sweetheart."

"What're you doing that for?" Rose asked not-Mickey. The thing looked at me again, making me back away from it. I heard someone approach our table. I looked around to find the Doctor, I smiled at him softly as he brought a finger to his lip, telling me to stay quiet. I nodded my head very lightly.

"Your champagne."

"We didn't order any champagne." Not-Mickey grabs my hand, making me jerk back. "Where's the Doctor, Jessa?" I watch as the Doctor simply moved to my side of the table, a frown on his face and holds the bottle out to me.

"Ma'am. Your champagne." I stared at him, then looked back to not-Mickey, trying to get my hand out of its grip.

"Let go, Mickey!"

"It's not ours . . . Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?" Rose stared at not-Mickey in concern, I huffed at her. _'Yeah, be concern for the thing that's hurting me, love you too Rose'_

"I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?" I kept jerking my hand, trying to get away.

"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?" not-Mickey raises his eyes to the Doctor for the first time in exasperation.

"Look, we didn't order I—" he realize that the waiter is the Doctor, "Ah. Gotcha." The Doctor shakes the bottle.

"Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple. On the house!" the cork pops out and hits not-Mickey squarely on the forehead. His forehead absorbs the cork and he spits it out of his mouth. It's finally revealed to Rose that Mickey has been replaced with not-Mickey.

"That's gross!" I said in disgusted at the thing.

"Anyway." His hands turn into clubs, making my hand free, and he smashes the table. Rose screams and runs out of the building. I jump away from the thing as the Doctor grabs not-Mickey's head and pulls it off. "Don't think that's gonna stop me." A couple at a nearby table scream, but the Doctor grins. I press the fire bell.

"Everyone out! Out now!" I yelled. Everyone runs for the exit. The thing stays inside, blindly smashing tables with his club – hands. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

The Doctor and I run through the kitchen and out of the back exit. With not-Mickey in hot pursuit, the Doctor locks a metal door with his screwdriver thingy while I wait for the Doctor to explain what was going on.

"What is that? In your hand?" I asked him looking at it.

"What, this? This is a sonic screwdriver." I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Sonic screwdriver? Who in the world would ever think that a screwdriver could be a bit more sonic?" I followed him into a police box in the middle of the yard. The Doctor shuts the door behind me as I stared in awe. I continued to walk forward, walking around everything, feeling everything that I thought safe enough to touch, and just staring in awe and happiness. I found the Doctor staring at me while he was wiring up not-Mickey's head.

"You see, the arm is too simple, but the head's perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right." He turns to me, giving me his full attention. "Where do you want to start?"

"Is it magic? Are you a wizard?" I asked in hope that he was or that this was indeed magic. His look became confused,

"No and no." I felt my face drop. I looked around.

"Then how is it bigger on the inside then the outside without magic . . . oh, its alien isn't it?" I asked as I turned back to him.

"Yup!"

"So that means you're an alien?" I asked moving closer to him, he beamed a smile at me.

"Yes. Is that alright?" he asked. I nodded my head with a bright smile.

"Yes, so what do you call this? She gorgeous!" I moved to look at the controls when I felt a warm hum in my head, I turned my head looking for the source of the humming.

"It's called the TARDIS, this thing. T-A-R-D-I-S, that's Time And Relative Dimension In Space." I glance at the head.

"So did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" I asked him, now a bit freaked out, especially with the humming still going through my head now that I realize it's not coming from the Doctor.

"Oh . . . didn't think of that." I made a 'really' face at him.

"He's my best friend, Rose's boyfriend. You pulled off his head – they copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?" I said looking at the head again, the humming soothing me, making me calm.

"Melt?" he turns around in time to see not-Mickey's head melting with a bubbling nosie. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Oh, no no no no no **NO**!" he starts running frantically around the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers. The humming started to sound annoyed as the Doctor did this.

"What are you doing?" I asked staying out of his way.

"Reviving the signal, it's fading! Wait I've got it . . ." he looks at the screen, "No No No No No No **NO**!" the TARDIS shakes as the engines move, I graded onto the railing. "Almost there! Almost there! Here we go!" the engines stop and the Doctor runs out of the TARDIS doors without another word, I follow him outside. "I lost the signal, I got so close." I hop out of the TARDIS, looking around confused.

"We moved? How?" I asked looking back to the TARDIS.

"Disappears there, reappears here, you wouldn't understand." I turn to look at him, an indignant look on my face.

"Oi, I'm not stupid like everyone else on the godforsaken planet! You rude, pompous, bugger!" he turned around looking at me in shock. I cross my arms and looked away. "I'm going to have to tell Rose." The Doctor looks at me questioningly. "Mickey. I have to tell his girlfriend he's dead and you just went and forgot about him, again!" the Doctor rolls his eyes, unconcerned. "I can't believe I stuck up for you." I shook my head and turned to walk away.

"Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey-"

"Yeah, he's not a kid." I interrupted him, not looking back.

"It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, alright?" I turned back to him.

"Alright." I said in disbelief.

"Yes! It is!" I shake my head in disbelief at him.

"Why do you sound like you're from the North?"

"Lots of plants have a North." He folds his arms indignantly and looks away. I giggled softly at him.

"So why a 1950 police public call box?" I ask stuffing my hands into my sweater pockets. The Doctor snaps his head back to me in shock again.

"You really are smart aren't you, very good at asking the right questions." He pats the TARDIS fondly, grinning. The humming sounds like it was purring like a kitten. "It's a disguise." I smile and shake my head.

"Okay, this plastic thing, what's it got against us?" I asked leaning against the TARDIS.

"Nothing, it loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air . . . perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. Its food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth . . . dinner!" I sent him a questioning look when he mention a war, I wanted to ask but thought better of it.

"Any way of stopping it?" I asked instead. Grinning, the Doctor produces a tube of blue liquid from his jacket.

"Anti-plastic!"

"Anti-plastic?"

"Anti-plastic! But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"

"Hide what?"

"The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal." I started to look around.

"What's it look like?" I asked looking back to him.

"Like a transmitter. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London." He starts to pace around, agitated, looking for a clue. "A huge circular metal structure . . . like a dish . . ." he stands facing me, his back to the railings of the bridge. Behind him, the London eye looms 450 feet above us, but he doesn't seem to register it. ". . . like a wheel. Close to where we're standing. Must be **COMPLETELY** invisible." I snorted at that and looked behind him to the Eye. "What?" I nod towards the Eye. The Doctor turns around, then back to me, completely nonplussed. "What?" I shake my head, still looking at the Eye. He turns around but still fails to make the connection. "What is it? What?" I simply carry on staring at it. The Doctor turns around again and finally, it clicks. "Oh . . . fantastic!" he grins insanely, takes my hand and we're running off. Hand in hand, the Doctor and I run across London Bridge towards the Eye. We come to a halt at the foot of the Eye.

"Think of it. Plastic, all over the world. Every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables; still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath." I run off and find the entrance to a manhole at the foot of the wall, I look over.

"What about down there?" the Doctor runs to join me.

"Looks good to me." We run down the stairs to the manhole. The Doctor takes the lid off it, and red light and smoke pours out. We both climb down the ladder underground. The Doctor opens the door to another chamber and we go down some steps. The Doctor points to a huge, orange, wobbling mass in the middle of the chamber. "The Nestene Consciousness, that's it, inside the vat. A living, plastic creature."

"Huh, so I guess you're not going to kill it straight off, right? You're going to try and reason with it?" I looked over to him, to see him beaming a smile at me.

"Correct! You and your question, do you ever get in trouble with that little problem of yours?" I nodded to him,

"Oh, yeah. All the time, it use to drive mum mad when I was younger." We go down some more steps. The Doctor leans over the railings and addresses the Consciousness.

"I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract. According to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." The Consciousness flobbles around a bit. "Thank you. That I might have permission to approach." Meanwhile, I was pacing around in the background until I spotted Mickey and ran to him. The Doctor rolls his eyes.

"Mickey! It's okay. It's alright." I kneed down next to him.

"That thing down there, the liquid, Jessa – it can talk!" I pulled him into a hug, only to pull back again.

"God, you stink!" I looked at him in confusion, then back to the Doctor. "Doctor, they kept him alive. Why?"

"Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy." I gave him a harsh glare when I realize what he was saying.

"You knew that and you never said!" I grounded out through my clench teeth. Mickey clinging on to me, whimpering like a lost, little boy.

"Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you." I helped Mickey to his feet. The Doctor approaches the Consciousness. "Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warped, shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" the plastic globbers in what appears to be a negative manner. "Oh don't give me that, it's an invasion! Plain and simple! Don't talk about constitutional rights!" the plastic rears what would appear to be its head angrily. "I – am – talking! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt to walk, well all but one, she's learned to talk at the same time." The Doctor looked at me with a handsome smile and winked at me, causing me to blush a light pink across my cheek bones and bridge of my nose. "But they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf – please, just go." Two dummies approach the Doctor from behind.

"Doctor!" I gasped to him. The dummies grab him. One of them takes the anti-plastic out of his jacket pocket.

"That was just insurance! I wasn't going to **USE** it." The plastic globbers angrily. "I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not . . . what do you mean?" the doors above him open to reveal the TARDIS. I realize that the humming was gone when we came here, I looked to the TARDIS questioningly, 'Is the humming coming from the TARDIS?'

"Oh, oh no – honestly, no! Yes, that's my ship." The plastic roars. "That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war – it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"

"Doctor, what's it doing?!" I yelled down to him.

"It's the TARDIS! The Nestene had indentified its superior technology – it's terrified! It's going to the final base. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Jessamine! Just leg it! Now!" I dial a number on my mobile.

[Mum?!]

[ _Oh, there you are, I was just gonna phone. You can get compensation. I said so. I've got this document thing off the police – don't thank me!_ ]

[That's great, Mum. Where are you? Where's Rose?]

[ _I'm in town! Rose's at home, came in screaming like a banshee._ ]

[Go home! Just go home, right now!]

[ _Darling, you're breaking up, look, I'm just going to do a bit of late night shopping. I'll see you later. Tara!_ ]

[Mum?! Mum!] I yelled into the phone. I pulled it away and saw she hung up on me. I glared at the phone, she was in so much trouble when I get home. The Consciousness sends out a signal.

"It's the activation signal! It's transmitting!" I looked over to the Doctor in worry. The electric blue signal shoots around the Eye.

"The end of the world . . ." I snapped my head to Mickey when he whispered that. I held him tighter.

"No, Mickey don't think that." I wince in pain as more names were added to the list. The Doctor is still being held hostage.

"Get out, Jessamine! Just get out! Run!" the Doctor yelled up to me. Part of the ceiling falls in.

"The stairs are gone and I don't have a key to the TARDIS." I said as loud as I could, the pain getting worse with the amount of names appearing on the list.

"We're gonna die!" Mickey yelled, I groan in pain, collapsing by the TARDIS. "Jessa?!" Mickey is holding me as he cowers at the door of the TARDIS. I moved out of Mickey's arms, moaning in pain as it shoots through my body. I grab on to the railing and watch as the Doctor struggles to get to the anti-plastic. I reached to my decision. I stand up fully without the help of the rail.

"Just leave him!" Mickey yells to me. I take action.

"There's nothing you can do!" Mickey says to me. I pick up an axe.

"I've got my A levels. But no job to show for it. And no future, not here . . . never here." I continued. I hacked at the chain on the wall, trying to release it. More pain shoots through.

"ACK!" I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Jessamine!" I heard the Doctor yell.

"But I also got a Jericho Street Junior School under 7s gymnastic team and more." The chain came loose and I grab onto it. "I got the gold!" I swing across the gap over the Consciousness. I kick the dummies holding the Doctor hostage into the Nestene, anti-plastic and all. The Consciousness starts to writhe and scream. I land safely in the Doctor's arms at the other side of the gap.

"Now we're in trouble." The Consciousness starts to explode as the Doctor and I run off. The signal from the Eye is cut off. Mickey, the Doctor and I all manage to reach the TARDIS. I grin at the Consciousness before I go in and close the door, as it starts to die. Just before the whole chamber goes up in flames, the TARDIS disappears. Mickey runs backwards out of the TARDIS and falls over, looking terrified. He backs against a wall. I, however, step out and ring mum on my mobile again.

[J _essa! Jessa! Don't go out of the house, it's not safe!_ ] I laugh in relief to hear mum's voice. [ _There were all of these things! And they were shooting! And they—_ ] satisfied that mum was alive, I hang up on her, smiling to myself. I walked over to Mickey, wincing every step.

"A fat lot of good you were!" Mickey whimpers. The Doctor stands in the doorway of the TARDIS.

"Nestene Consciousness?" he clicks his fingers, "Easy."

"You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me." I said teasingly to him.

"Yes, I would. Thank you. Right then! I'll be off! Unless, uh . . . I don't know . . . you could come with me." I look at him, standing up completely. I could go with him. I could leave this boring life. I'd be able to see what's beyond the stars again. I get to go on adventures again . . . I'll be able to truly live again.

"Don't! He's an alien! He's a thing!" I looked to Mickey with a frown on my face.

"He's **NOT** invited. What do you think? You could stay here and fill your life with work, food, and sleep. Your questions going to waste or you could go, uh . . . anywhere." My eyes widen at that before I remember, I could never go back home.

"Is it always this dangerous?" I asked.

"Yeah." The Doctor nods. Mickey puts his arms around my legs like a little child. I looked down to him then back up to the Doctor. I began to remove Mickey's arms, moving towards the Doctor.

"Jessa, no! Please, don't! What about Jackie and Rose? What about me? You're my best mate." I stopped walking towards the Doctor. I look back to Mickey. I turned back to the Doctor raising a finger for a minute, he nods. I move back to Mickey and pull him into a big hug.

"Oh, Mickey. I have to go with him . . . it feels right." I move back from him and cup his face in my hands. I see tears run down his face. I wipe them away with my thumbs. "Oh, honey. Don't cry. This isn't the end, it's just the beginning. Remember all those stories I told you? It's time to make some new ones and one day, Mickey, you'll be there right by my side and we'll be making our stories together. But I need you to be strong for me and watch Rose and mum for me, can you do that?" he nods his head, silent tears still running down his face. I hug him again tightly for the last time until we see each other again. I kiss his cheek and let go of him. I stand up and turn to the Doctor. He holds a hand out to me with a big smile on his face. I run to him and take his hand, smiling brightly as we enter the TARDIS.


	2. The End of the World

"Right then, Jessamine Tyler – you tell me, where do you want to go? Backwards or Forwards in time. What's it going to be?" The Doctor asked me, still holding my hand. He took us to the controls, I could hear the humming again, and it sounded so happy.

"Forwards." I answered him. The Doctor lets go of my hand and presses a few buttons.

"How far?" I picked a random number out of my head.

"One hundred years." He pulls a lever and turns a knob. The engines lurch and then stopped after a few seconds.

"There you go, step outside those doors, it's the twenty-second century." I looked over to him in light shock.

"Really?" he nodded his head and then shrugged.

"That's a bit boring though, do you want to go further?"

"Absolutely!" I said in excitement, with a big, bright smile. The Doctor starts up the engines again. When they stop, he looks at me.

"Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the New Roman Empire."

"You think you're so impressive." I grinned at him teasingly.

"I **AM** so impressive." He grinned back. I laughed lively at him.

"You wish!"

"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go." He revs up the engine, pumping a lever furiously. "Hold on!"

I grabbed onto the console as the TARDIS hurtles through the time vortex. With a pinging noise, the TARDIS stops. "Where are we?" the Doctor gestures towards the doors. I smile excitedly, "What's out there?" he gestures again. I step outside the doors. I find myself in some kind of metal room. The Doctor follows me and with his sonic screwdriver, opens the shutters of an enormous window. We go down the stairs and find ourselves looking down on the planet Earth.

"You lot. You spend all your time thinking about dying. Like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take the time to imagine the impossible. Maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26. Five billion years in your future. This is the day . . . hold on . . ." he looks at his watch, "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

" _Shuttles 5 and 6 now docking. Guests are reminded that platform 1 forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth death is scheduled for 15:39, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite_." I make a face at the religion part as the Doctor and I are walking down a corridor. I turn to look at the Doctor.

"So, when it says 'guests' does that mean aliens?" I asked looping my arm with his.

"Yes! Very good, Jessamine!" he nods his head excitedly. I look around the spaceship, thinking.

"So I'm guessing that they've gather here to watch the Earth burn?" I asked again looking up to him just a bit.

"Yes." The Doctor starts to open a door with his sonic screwdriver. I look away and over my shoulder.

"It's for fun, isn't it?" I look back over to him. He nods again. We enter a large observation gallery.

"Mind you, it's the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich." He told me, resting his hand on mine that was still resting on his arm.

"The sun expanding though, that takes hundreds of years." I said looking up to him.

"Millions. But the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there?" he points out the window at the tiny glints of light orbiting the Earth, "Gravity satellite. That's holding back the sun."

"The planet looks the same." I peered out the window, "The continents were supposed to shift." I looked back over to the Doctor.

"They did. And the trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over!" I shook my head backing away from the window.

"They should of let nature take over years ago, this is wrong . . . how long has it got?" I miss the Doctor's sad look towards me, he looks at his watch.

"About half an hour. And the plant gets roasted." I looked back at him sharply.

"I'm guessing we're not saving it this time?" I asked.

"Yep, time's up." He answered. I nodded.

"Its empty, isn't it? They left it, didn't they?"

"Yes." I look back out the window. Then a tall blue man hurries towards us.

"Who the hell are you?" I just stare at him in wonder.

"Oh! That's nice, thanks." I shook my head at the Doctor sarcasm.

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked! They're on their way any second now!" the Doctor starts digging in his pockets making me move my arm away.

"That's me, I'm a guest, look! I've got an invitation!" he flashes a small leather wallet at the blue man. "Look, there you see? It's fine, see? The Doctor plus one. I'm the Doctor, this is Jessa Tyler. She's my plus one. That all right?" I shot the Doctor a confused look when he called me Jessa, since we first met he's always called me by my whole name. The only one to do that since dad passed away.

"Well . . . obviously." The Doctor grins. "Apologies, etcetera. If you're onboard, we'd better start. Enjoy." The Doctor nods at him. After the blue man walks off, the Doctor shows me the card he had flashed at the man. I take it out of his hands looking at it.

"The paper's slightly psychic. Shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time. See?" I shook my head and handed it back.

"It's blank, Doctor." I told him. He looks at me with a bright, proud smile on his face.

"That just means you're too smart to be fooled by it, Jessamine." I blush lightly at that. I cleared my throat and looked away from him. I pointed in the direction of the blue man.

"Is he related to the Blue Man Group?" he barks out a laugh and shakes his head. The blue man was now speaking through a microphone at the other end of the suite.

"We have in attendance, the Doctor and Jessa Tyler. Thank you! All staff to their positions." He claps his hands and a lot of little blue people start scurrying around. "Hurry now! Thank you, as quick as we can! Come along, come along! And now, might I introduce the next honoured guest, representing the forest of Cheem, we have Trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute, and Coffa." The named Trees walked through the doors. "There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you can keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, the Moxx of Balhoon." The Doctor smiles cheerily, as my look of wonder soon starts to change into bewilderment. "And now, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme." The Doctor chuckles at the look on my face. "The inventors of hyposlip travel systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you!" entered more aliens, "Cal 'Spark Plug'." More aliens. "Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo." And more. "The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light."

Jabe approaches the Doctor. On either side of her, her companions are holding plant trays with little shoots in them.

"The Gift of Peace." She takes a cutting and hands it to the Doctor. "I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather."

"Thank you!" he gives it to me. "Yes, gifts . . . erm . . ." he clears his throat and starts feeling his jacket for something, finding nothing, what he says shocks the living hell out of me, "I give you in return, air from my lungs." He blows gently onto Jabe's face, who closes her eyes briefly.

"How . . . intimate." I felt my eyes widen in shock, _'Oh Merlin, please tell me they're not . . .'_

"There's more where that came from." The Doctor said flirtatiously, _'Oh sweet loving Morgana, they are!'_ I gave the Doctor a 'what-the-ever-loving-fuck-just-happen' look. Did he really just flirt with a tree? A talking, walking, breathing _tree_!

"Sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Bo." I shook out of my shock as a huge head in an equally huge jar is wheel through the doors. I turn to get a better look and become transfixes on him as he passes us and I swear up and down the yellow brick road that he just winked at me. I felt like I knew him . . . that he was someone important to me. The Moxx of Balhoon approaches me and the Doctor.

"The Moxx of Balhoon." I turned to look at the alien.

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva." He then spits accurately into my left eye.

"Thank you very much." The Doctor laughs. I gave him a death glare as I rub the spit out of my eye. Next, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme approach us. "Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you air from my lungs." He breathes heavily over them all.

"A gift of peace in all good faith." He holds out a large silver egg, which the Doctor takes, throws it up into the air, catches it, and then hands it to me. I shook my head, the egg gave off an ill feeling. The Doctor frowns at me.

"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Multiforms. Consider the Earth below. In the memory of this dying world, we call forth the Last Human." The Doctor turns and looks at me. I look back at him with a raised eyebrow. The sliding doors open and what looks like a vertical trampoline made of human skin is wheeled through. It has eyes and a mouth, that's wearing red lipstick. My other eyebrow joins the already raised one, while my eyes widen in shock. I looked back to the Doctor.

"That's no human. That's a moveable, talkable trampoline!" I whispered to him. He looks at me in amusement.

"The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at me the difference! Look how thin I am." The Doctor laughs silently but heartily and looks back to me, still looking shock. I looked over to him.

"Holy shite! It really can talk!" I whispered to him then looking back to the trampoline with curiosity.

"Thin and dainty! I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me, moisturize me." One of the two men in white body suits who wheeled her in is holding a canister, which he sprays onto Cassandra or Trampoline as I was calling her now. "Truly, I am The Last Human." I snorted as I crept closer for a better look. "My father was a Texan. My mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in the soil." I had been walking around to the other side of Trampoline, to get a good view of her from all angle, she's completely flat! "I have come to honour them and . . ." she sniffs, ". . . say goodbye. Oh, no tears." One of her bodyguards wipes her eyes, "No tears. I'm sorry. But behold! I bring gifts. From Earth itself – the last remaining ostrich egg." One of the staff comes in and displays the egg to the room. "Legend says it had a wingspan of 50 feet and blew fire from its nostrils." I gave the Doctor a 'what-the-fuck' look which he ignored. "Or was that my third husband?" I rolled my eyes but the Doctor laughed. "Who knows? Oh don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines!" she laughs and mumbles to herself for a few seconds. Behind her, a large jukebox is wheeled into the room. "And here, another rarity. According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers." I looked at Trampoline in amazement knowing that the Human Race? Yeah, it just got even stupider. "Play on!" one of the staff presses a button and a record falls into place. The 'iPod' starts playing Tainted Love by Soft Cell. I watch the Doctor bop around appreciatively.

"Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in 30 minutes." The steward told us. I could feel the lost, overwhelmed expression on my face. _'Everywhere I look there aliens, but no humans . . . well Trampoline technically counts as a human . . . so there's no magical humans . . . like me . . . I'm so alone.'_ I rush from the gallery after that thought. I was in another part of the ship, looking out the window at the raging sun. I jump when another one of the staff comes into the room, a female this time.

"Sorry, am I allowed to be in here?" the employee looked around uneasily.

"You have to give us permission to talk." She looks at me expectantly. I look at her unsure, the behavior reminding me of house elves.

"Uh . . . you . . . have permission . . .?" I said hesitantly.

"Thank you! And, no. You're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere."

"Okay." I nodded my head. She goes to a panel in the wall and enters a code. I watch her.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Raffalo." I looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Raffalo?"

"Yes, Miss. I won't be long, I've just got to carry out some maintenance." She kneels before an air vent. "There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Bo suite. There must be something blocking the system – he's not getting any hot water."

"So, you're a plumber?" I asked slowly.

"That's right, Miss." I looked at her in shock.

"They still have plumbers?" Raffalo looked to me, "I hope so! Else I'm out of a job!" I laugh.

"Where are you from?" I asked interested.

"Crespallion." I nodded and crossed my arms behind my back.

"And that's where?"

"Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex 56. And where are you from, Miss?" she seemed to remember herself, "If you don't mind me asking."

"No, not at all. I'm from a very faraway place. I sort of, hitched a lift with the Doctor." I looked away lost in my thoughts. Raffalo name suddenly appears in head on the list, I let out a soft sigh. "Anyway, don't let me keep you. Good luck with it!" I begin to walk away but before I do, I lightly brush my hand on Raffalo claiming her soul as collected.

"Thank you, Miss. And –" I turn around, "Thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate."

"Welcome. See you later." I smile to her. Raffalo nods and smiles. When I left, she takes the cover off the air vent.

" _Earth Death in 25 minutes. Earth Death in 25 minutes_."

I was sitting on the steps, leaning back looking out the window. I look over to the cutting of Jabe's grandfather. I pick it up.

"Hello! My name's Jessamine, though everyone calls me Jessa. My middle name is Rose, though. It's a sort of plant, so we might be related . . ." I start laughing at myself and put the plant down, "I'm talking to a twig."

"Jessamine? Are you in there?" the Doctor calls as he comes through the door. "Aye aye!" he sits on the other side of the stairs. "What do you think, then?"

"It's amazing, Doctor. Absolutely amazing . . . once you get pass the walkable, talkable human trampoline, that is." The Doctor laughs, there's a short pause. "It just makes me realize how truly alone I am, though." The Doctor looks at me questionably, "The Earth you found me on, it's not the true Earth I'm from. My home, Doctor is gone . . . because of me." I looked away from him, "My people got so power hungry, Doctor. I didn't have a choice but I wish I did . . . Oh Merlin did I beg for another way, but there wasn't one." I look back over to him, silent tears running down my cheeks. "My people thought they were better than the Muggles and wanted to get rid of them. Bloody hell, even my own husband agree with the Ministry. So my best friend, Hermonie Weasley nee Granger and I created a ritual that would time lock our world but it came with a price, Doctor." My hands were shaking as I moved them to wipe the tears away. I felt a large hand take hold of both of my hands, startling me. I looked up from the floor to see the Doctor looking at me with a soft and sad expression.

"What was the price, Jessamine?"

"It had to be me or Hermonie by using the veil of death. Whoever did would be taken out of the time lock and sent to another Earth, never to come back cos once activated in a time lock no one comes out and no one comes in. There was the possibilities of the person dying. So I did it, cos death can't take its own Mistress, Doctor." I moved my left hand out of his and moved my selves up, showing him my Deathly Hallows mark. "I can't die, Doctor. I have to watch everyone I love and care about age and die all around me and collect their damn souls. You know what that's like, right?" I look up at him, he nods. I look away from him, embarrassed about spilling my woes to him.

"Where are you from, Doctor?" I asked after a while.

"All over the place." I looked over to him.

"They all speak English, why?" I asked.

"It's a gift of the TARDIS. Telepathic field, gets inside your brain – translates." I nodded my head in thought.

"Does that include humming?" I looked him in the eye. He looked at me in shock.

"Humming?" I nodded, "Yeah, I started to hear humming when you told me the name of the TARDIS." He just keeps looking at me in shock.

"That's never happened that fast." I tilted my head questioningly. "The TARDIS, she can talk and rarely does she talk to my companions."

"I'm just a special case then, yea?" I teased with a small grin.

"Oh, there's no doubt about that." I sat there gob smack as he teased me back. I lightly hit him on the arm, "Jerk!" I laughed. Once I stopped laughing, I turned back to the Doctor.

"But, really, where are you from, Doctor? What are you called? What's your plant called?" I asked again. The Doctor sits up and looks away from me.

"I'm just The Doctor." I frown at him.

"Yea? From what planet?" I pressed.

"Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!" my frown deepen.

"Doctor, where are you from?" I turned to him, arms crossed.

"What does it matter?" he asked me.

"It matters cos I told you where I'm truly from and the least you could do is to do the same. Tell me who you are." I told him very seriously.

"This is who I am, right here, right now, alright? All that counts is here and now, and this is me!" he said suddenly very angry. The Doctor gets up and walks down the steps away from me.

" _Earth Death in 20 minutes. Earth Death in 20 minutes_." After a few minutes, I get up and follow the Doctor down the steps.

"Alright . . . as Monie used to say . . . don't argue with the designated driver. . . But so you know, I'm always here if you want to talk, okay?" The Doctor, with his back turned to me, smiles at that. I get out my mobile out of my pocket. "Can't exactly call for a taxi . . . there's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit!" I tried to get the Doctor to laugh or look at me with that handsome smile of his again. My wish was answered.

"Tell you what . . ." he takes my phone from me. "With a little bit of jiggery pokery . . ." he takes the back off.

"Is that a technical term, 'jiggery pokery'?" I asked with a slight smile.

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery, what about you?" I giggled a bit.

"Nah, failed hullabaloo." I cover my mouth with my hand smothering my giggles a bit.

"Oooh." He fits in a new battery, and hands it back to me. "There you go." I take it and look at him uncertainly. He nods. I get mum's number onto the screen and put the phone to my ear. It rings.

[ _Hello_?]

[Mum?]

[ _Oh, what is it? What's wrong? What have I done now? Oh, this red top's falling to bits! You should get your money back. Go on! There must be something, you never phone in the middle of the day!] She hears me laugh. [What's so funny?_ ]

[Nothing! You and Rose all right, though?]

[ _Yeah! Why wouldn't we be?_ ]

[What day is it?]

[ _Wednesday. All day. You got a hangover? Oh, I tell you what, put a quid in that lottery syndicate, I'll pay you back later._ ]

[Yeah, um, I was just calling 'cause I might be late home.]

[ _Is there something wrong?_ ]

[No! I'm fine! Top of the world!] The Doctor laughs. I lower my mobile, stunned.

"Think that's amazing, you want to see the bill." I look over to him.

"That was 5 billion years ago. She's dead now. They're both dead . . . I'm the mistress of Death, when they told me the job description, I think they forgot about mad men and their bigger on the inside blue boxes!" I told him.

"Bundle of laughs, you are." I rolled my eyes at him. The ship then shudders. "That's not supposed to happen . . ." the Doctor said rather pleased and curious. The guests are completely oblivious to the commotion, chatting to each other. The Moxx of Balhoon is talking to the Face of Bo.

". . . this is the Bad Wolf scenario . . ." the Doctor and I enter.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that." He fiddles with a control panel next to the door. Jabe approaches us, I immediately start to feel a bit of jealousy. "What do you think, Jabe? Listen to the engines – they pitched up about 30 hertz, is that dodgy or what?"

"It's the sound of metal, it doesn't make any sense to me." I scoffed at her silently, even I could tell the difference of the sound from earlier to now.

"Where's the engine room?" the Doctor asked her.

"I don't know . . . but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest's suite, I could show you. And . . ." she gestures at me. ". . . your wife."

"She's not my wife." I look at the Doctor out the corner of my eye.

"Partner?"

"No." Jabe looks at me, I felt my figurative feather ruffle up.

"Concubine?" that's it.

"Whatever I am, it must be invisible, do you mind? Tell you what, you two go and pollinate, I'm going to catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson. Oh and who knows, I may go offer myself to Mr. Face of Bo over there, yea? And he wouldn't have been able to afford me, anyway." I sneer at her and make my way over to Trampoline.

"Don't start a fight, Jessamine." He said slightly red faced as he proffers an arm to Jabe. "I'm all yours."

"And I want you home by midnight!" I said feathers still a bit ruffled, watching them leave. The Doctor grins back at me.

" _Earth Death in 15 minutes. Earth Death in 15 minutes_."

I was talking to Trampoline as we looked out a window at the sun and down at the Earth.

"Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die. That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy." I snapped my head to her, with a 'what-the-fuck' face. "Down there. Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice." She sighs. "I had such fun."

"What happened to everyone else? Where'd they go?" I asked her.

"They say Mankind has touched every star in the sky." I understood now.

"You're not the last human but the last pure human." But even then she wasn't, I was and I would always be.

"Yes. The others . . . mingled." She said in disgusted. "Oh, they call themselves 'New Humans' and 'Proto-humans' and 'Digi-humans' even 'Human-ish' but you know what I call them?" she lowers her voice to a whisper. "Mongrels."

"Right. And you stayed behind." I sneered at her.

"I kept myself pure." She sneered right back.

"How many operation have you had?" I looked at her.

"708. Next week, its 709, I'm having my blood bleached. Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, Jessa. You've got a bit of a chin poking out."

"I'd rather die." I laughed bitterly to myself, ' _If only I could_.'

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt –" I interrupted her before she could go any further.

"No, I mean it. I'd rather die. It's better to die than live like you – a bitchy trampoline."

"Oh well. What do you know?" She said to me rolling her eyes.

"I was born on that planet. And so was my mum, and so was my dad and my sister and that makes me officially the last human being in this room, 'cause you're not human. You've had it nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left. Anything human got chucked in the bin. You're just skin, Trampoline. Lipstick and skin. Nice talking." I walked off, heading to Mr. Face of Bo. I sat in front of the Face of Bo tank. We stared at one another for a good solid five minutes before I started to hear loud chuckling in my head.

"What the hell is with all this physic shite? First Voldemort, then Snape, and now you and the TARDIS. What, is my head like party central or something?" I asked him, his chuckles getting louder and the other aliens near us narrowed their eyes at me when I cursed. I narrowed my eyes right back at them, "What you never hear cursing before? Go back to your gossiping, ya eavesdroppers." They all huffed at me and went back to their chatting. I turned back to the Face of Bo. "What are you laughing, big head?" I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"Even now you're still feisty as ever, my Jessa-Rose." My glare soon disappeared into wide, shock eyes.

"How'd you know my middle name? This is the first time I've ever met you!" I gaped at him. He chuckled again.

"For you, yes. But for me, well I've lost count, my Jessa-Rose." I slowly nodded.

"You're someone important to me, aren't you? I could feel it when you came in earlier, big head." I said to him, memorizing how he looked right now.

"Still very curious about everything, I see. Yes, I'm very important to you, as you are to me, my Jessa-Rose." I stared at him.

"You're not going to tell me, are you? I have to figure it out." I said with a bitter smirk.

"Yes. You were always the smarter one between the both of us, Jessa-Rose." I could tell from his tone that he was smirking just as bitterly as I was.

"And what, you were the bronze of the operation?" I sassed at him.

"Yes, I was actually. You still get mad that I was taller and stronger." He sassed right back. I look back at the doors noticing that the Doctor and the tree weren't back yet.

"Well, big head. I need to find my friend, it was nice . . . talking with you." I said as I got up from the floor.

"As I you, my Jessa-Rose." I nodded and begin to walk always before he stopped me, "Jessa-Rose!" I flinched at the shout. I turned to him with a 'what' face. "There comes a time when you must force the Doctor to save me, will you promise me that? Will you promise to save me?" I frown and start to walk back over to him.

"Yes, of course, I promise. But why do you need my help? Why wouldn't the Doctor save you?" I asked. He chuckled sadly.

"When you meet me again, it will be in my true form and I don't make the best impression on you or the Doctor. But you have the heart and ability to forgive and give second chances. That's what I ask for, a second chance, my Jessa-Rose." I laid a hand on his glass.

"I promise you, Face of Bo, to give you a second chance and to save your sorry arse." I smirked at him. I heard him laugh.

"Once a smart ass, always a smart ass. I'll hold you to that promise, Jessa-Rose." I nodded and patted his tank a couple of times.

"See ya, later . . . big head." I walked towards the doors.

"Till later . . . pipsqueak." I chuckled at that and waved a hand over my shoulder. I left through the sliding doors, with the Adherents of the Repeated Meme watching me leave. I was walking alone down a corridor looking for the Doctor. The Adherents of the Repeated Meme coming from the other end. I smile lightly at them, but the front one strikes me to the ground where I lie unconscious as they drag me off. I could hear 'Toxic' being played loudly as I woke up, rubbing my head.

" _Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending_."

I sat up in alarm as the sun filter descends. I run to the door and knock on it frantically.

"Doctor! Let me out!" I yelled.

" _Sun filter descending_."

"Anyone in there?" he asked.

"Doctor!" I yelled frantic.

"Oh, well, it would be you." He said sarcastically.

"Open the door!" I yelled at him.

"Hold on! Give us two ticks!" he yelled right back at me. I quirked an eyebrow, ' _Us_?' I look back to the room, the whole thing was smoking.

" _Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending_."

I looked around trying to find a spot to hide from the sun rays. I hid in a corner, then brought my hands up to my faces. Taking a deep breath, I casted a strong protego on the window. I sigh with relief and let the protego charm drop. I walk back over to the doors waiting for the Doctor to open them.

" _Sun filter rising . . . sun filter descending_."

I froze in my spot on the steps.

"This just what we need. The computer's getting clever." I hear the Doctor mumble.

"Doctor, will you stop jacking around!" I yelled at him.

"I'm not jacking around, it's fighting back!" he yelled at me. "Hang on!" I threw up the protego charm again.

"Just stop the sun filter, so I can get out!" I yelled to him.

" _Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending_."

" _Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising_." Panting, I drop the charm again, leaning back against the doors.

"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors." I rolled my eyes and turn on the spot I was standing at. Appariting behind the Doctor with a loud pop, making the Doctor spin around. "Don't . . . move?" I panted tiredly.

"Apparition, lovely thing isn't it, Doctor?" I stumbled to the wall a bit. The Doctor rushed over to me, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"Jessamine, are you okay?" he asked as he looked me over, I nodded.

"Yeah, just shielded the sun with a protego, it took a bit of magic. But I'll be fine in a jiff." I said quietly. He nodded his head.

" _Earth Death in 5 minutes_."

"The metal machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of platform one." Jabe said looking at her computer.

"How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me." The Doctor takes the destabilized spider out of Jabe's hand. His other arm wrapped around my waist, letting me lean on him a bit. I looked at the sliver spider, ' _I knew it was evil_.'

"Summon the Steward!" the Moxx of Balhoon cried.

"I'm afraid the steward is dead." Jabe said. ' _Ah, so that's why my head still hurting, I couldn't claim his soul_.' There was a general gasp of shock. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Who killed him?" The Moxx of Balhoon asked.

"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Bo! He invited us!" Face of Bo shakes his head. I moved a bit from the Doctor, trying to walk over to Trampoline. The Doctor tightens his grip. "Talk to the face! Talk to the face!" she screeched.

"Oi! Leave him alone, ya bitchy Trampoline!" I yelled to her. Everyone gasped again in shock. "Oh, go choke on some caviar, you bunch of stuck up pricks!" I sneered at them all. I felt the Doctor chest tremble a bit, I looked up to see him holding back his laughter.

"Easy way of finding out. Someone brought a little pet on board." The Doctor shows them the spider. "Let's send him back to master." He places the spider down on the floor, after letting me go first and then again wrapped his arm around my waist. The spider scuttles along to Cassandra and looks up at her. Cassandra looked shifty for a moment, but the spider moves on to the feet of the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!" Cassandra voiced screeched again, making my ears ring.

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it . . ." the Adherents of the Repeated Meme tries to strike him, but he catches its arm and rips it off. "A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are. An idea." He rips a wire out of the arm and all of the Adherents of the Repeated Meme crumpled into a bundle of black cloaks. Everyone gasps. Cassandra and I roll our eyes. "Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo!" he nudges the spider with his foot. "Go home!" the spider ambles back over to Cassandra.

"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed." The Doctor and I raised our eyebrows. "At arms!" the two bodyguards with canisters on either side of her raised their canisters.

"What are you going to do, moisturize me?" the Doctor said mockingly.

"With acid. Oh, too late anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm just not a pretty face." She said. The Doctor pushed me behind his back just a bit.

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?" the Doctor sneered at her. I raised my head in realization, I moved out from behind the Doctor and stood in front of Cassandra.

"Oh, Doctor it's not stupid at all, brilliant almost but you got too cocky a bit too soon, Trampoline. You hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with yourself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous." I said to her with a disgusted look on my face. She looked at me in surprised. I smirked darkly at her. "Just like you, Cassandra, I'm more the just a pretty face and body. Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am The Last Human, Doctor. Me. Not this freaky little kid of yours." I violently flinched back from her, my eyes widening just a bit, fear quickly crossed my face and was gone in a second flat.

"Arrest her!" the Moxx of Balhoon cried.

"Oh, shut it, pixie. I've still got my final option." Cassandra said.

" _Earth Death in 3 minutes_."

"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? 'Burn, baby, burn.'" Cassandra said smugly.

"Then you'll burn with us." Jabe said strongly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but . . . I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders – activate." There were a series of explosions around the ship. I stumbled a bit falling backwards before the Doctor caught me and pulled me into his side again. "Force fields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband." She giggles, "Oh, shame on me. Buh-bye, darlings! Buh-bye, my darlings . . ." she and her bodyguard's teleport out.

"Heat levels rising."

"Reset the computer!" boy, that Moxx was a whiney thing.

"Only the Steward would know how."

"No. we can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe, come on." Before they left, Jabe name appeared on my list.

"No!" the Doctor stopped and turned to me.

"What?" I walked over to them.

"Jabe, you stay here and protect the others. I'll go with the Doctor." Jabe nodded in agreement and went back in to the suite. The Doctor gave me a look and started to leave the room with me flagging him.

"You lot – just chill!" the Doctor called over his shoulder to the crowd.

" _Earth Death in 2 minutes. Earth Death 2 minutes_."

The Doctor and I were running through the maintenance corridor.

" _Heat levels – critical. Heat levels critical_."

The Doctor and I reached the ventilation chamber.

"Oh. And guess where the switch is." The Doctor's sarcasm wasn't very welcoming at the moment. The switch was located at the other side of the enormous fans.

" _Heat levels – rising. Heat levels – rising_."

The Doctor pulls a lever down and the fans slow down.

" _External temperature – 5 thousand degrees_."

As soon as the Doctor lets go of the lever, the fans start to speed up again. As the Doctor looks hopelessly at the fans, I pull the lever down again and hold it there.

"You can't. The heat's going to vent through this place." The Doctor said to me, I saw the concern in his eyes.

"I know." I nodded to him.

"Jessamine, you're human. It'll burn you to a crisp or . . ." I chuckled at him shaking my head.

"Doctor, you forget, I'm the mistress of death, I can't die. Now stop wasting time." He grins at me and runs back to the fans.

" _Heat levels – rising. Heat levels – rising_."

The Doctor dodges the first fan and runs underneath it. He looks anxiously up at the next one. The Doctor is still standing before the second fan. He looks back at me, I'm now sweating and breathing heavily.

" _Heat levels – critical. Heat levels – critical_."

The Doctor dodges under the second fan. As the Doctor stands before the third fan. I started shaking violently. I gasped in pain as one of my hands palms melts off. I screamed. The Doctor looks back, shock. He see me on kneeling on the floor, my head pressed to the floor; shaking violently. I lifted my head just a bit and looked him right in the eyes. I looked back over to the lever, panting hard, I heaved my body on top of the lever pushing it down again.

" _Planet explodes in 10 . . . 9 . . ._ "

The Doctor closes his eyes. All grows quiet.

" _8 . . . 7 . . . 6 . . . 5 . . . 4 . ._ ."

The Doctor, still with his eyes closed, steps calmly though the fan. When at the other side, he opens his eyes and dashes to the switch, pulling it down.

"Raise shields!" he yelled to the ceiling. The Doctor walks back through the fans. So, I let go of the lever once he's out. I collapse to the floor. The Doctor rushes to me.

"Jessamine!" I chuckled softly at him, cracking my eyes open just a bit.

"I'm fine, Doctor, just really weak right now." I said to him, very softly. He shook his head at me.

"Never do that again, Jessamine." I groan a bit.

"Saved her." I whispered. The Doctor looked at me confused.

"What?"

"I save Jabe. I didn't cause death for once, Doctor. Someone got to live just a bit longer now." I smiled at him.

"Come on, we need to head back." He smiled back at me. He helped me stand up and walk back to the suite.

We walked back into the gallery, where all the aliens are sitting around wounded or dead. The Doctor set me down, leaning back against a wall. He walks briskly over to Jabe a few minutes later after knowing I was okay again. He kept glancing at me as he talked to her and her companions and then he places his hand on her shoulder, leaving them to grieve. He walks back to me.

"You all right?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one – teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two – this feed must be hidden nearby." He strides over to the ostrich egg, breaks it open and the teleportation feed falls out. He picks it up. "Idea number three – if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." He twists the feed. Cassandra appears before us, apparently in the middle of gloating.

"Ah, you should have seen their little alien faces." She notices her new surroundings. "Oh."

"The Last Human." The Doctor bit out.

"So. You passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join the er . . . the human club." She said flustered. I rolled my eyes and pushed myself of the ground, hissing in pain. I slowly walk over to the Doctor hiding my left hand from sight.

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them." The Doctor said angrily to her, wrapping his arm around my shoulders gently once he spotted me by his side.

"That depends on your definition of 'people'. And that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court then, Doctor! And watch me smile, and cry, and flutter . . ." I had the joyous time interrupting her.

"And creak?" I asked smugly.

"And what?" she asked in shock.

"Creak! You're creaking." The Doctor said just as smugly as me. Cassandra's skin was tightening. Her eyes were becoming bloodshot and she was getting whiter and whiter.

"What? Ah! Ah! Oh, sweet heavens! Moisturize me! Moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" she was panicking. She's covered in red blotches.

"You raised the temperature." I told her, deathly serious.

"Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, Doctor!" she said terrified and pathetically.

"Help her." Jabe said shaken. I turned to look at her.

"Everything has it time and everything dies." I told her, ' _everything but me_.'

I'm . . . too . . . young!" she explodes. The Doctor looks completely cold and not remotely fazed, the same could be said for me; till I fainted from the pain I was in. The Doctor catches me before I hit the ground. He lifts me up in to his arms, bridle style and leaves the room.

" _Shuttles 4 and 6 departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance_."

The Manchester Suite was now completely empty apart from me, now fully healed. I was standing at the window watching the Earth burn with a very vulnerable and sad look on my face, oblivious to the Doctor watching me from the doorway. Rocks fly past the window, I place a newly healed hand on the window. I turn around slightly when I hear the Doctor's footsteps as he comes to stand beside me.

"The end of the Earth. It's gone. And we were too busy saving everyone, no one saw it go. It's one Earth after the other. I will always be force to watch my home crumble around me, never able to stop it; for the rest of my immortal life." The Doctor looks down at me, "All those years . . . all that history and no one was even looking. It's just . . ." a tear slides down my cheek.

"Come with me." He holds out his hand to me. I take it and we walk away together. We're back in 2005, I step out of the TARDIS. I look around at the crowds, for once seeing them in a new light, instead of just souls waiting for me to collect. The Doctor stands beside me.

"You think it'll last forever. People, and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's all gone. Even the sky." We both look at the sky. After a moment, "My planet's gone." I turn to look at him, this is the first time he's mentioned his home. "It's dead. It burned like Earth. It's just rocks and dust. Before it's time."

"What happened?" I asked.

"There was a war. And we lost." He answered.

"A war with who?" but he doesn't answer, seemingly lost in thought. "What about your people?"

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own because there's no one else." He said to me.

"Well, there's me now. We'll be the last of our kind together." I smile at him.

"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" he asked me. I look at him.

"Have you ever read the Harry Potter books?" I asked him, he shakes his head confused. "Read them and then you'll understand who I am. I'm not afraid of danger, Doctor. I live for it." I sniff the air. "Oh! Can you smell chips?" I asked suddenly very hungry.

"Yeah. Yeah!" the Doctor laughs.

"I want chips." I said looking up to his eyes.

"Me too." He smiles at me.

"Right then, before you get me back in that blue box, chips it is, and you can pay." I said to him.

"No money." I rolled my eyes playfully at him.

"What sort of date are you? Come on then, tightwad, chips are on me." He smiles at me, delighted. "We've only got five billion years before the shops close . . ." we walked down the street together laughing, I nuzzled my head against his shoulder.


	3. The Unquiet Dead

Inside the TARDIS it's mayhem. The whole ship is shaking and an alarm is going off.

"Hold that one down!" the Doctor yelled to me pointing to a button.

"I'm **HOLDING** this one down!" I yelled back to him pointing to it.

"Well, hold them **BOTH** down!" he yelled again.

"It's not going to work!" I rolled my eyes, holding the button down anyway.

"Oi! I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future – let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" he asked me, looking up.

"What happened in 1860?" I asked, history never being my strongest point.

"I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!" the TARDIS screeches through the time vortex. The controls are steaming and both the Doctor and I were lying on the floor laughing. We finally get up from the floor.

"Blimey!" I laughed.

"You're telling me! Are you alright?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah. I think so! I mean nothings broken . . . did we make it? Where are we?" I asked him, moving to stand by him.

"I did it! Give the man a medal. Earth – Naples – December 24th, 1860." I looked up at him questioningly.

"When you say things like that, it makes me really worried about your mental state." I laughed as I dodge his hand that was aim to swat my head. "That's so weird . . . it's Christmas." The Doctor gestures towards the door.

"All yours." He said to me.

"But, it's like . . . think about it, though. Christmas. 1860. Happens once. Just once, and it's gone. It's finished. It'll never happen again. Except for you, and mind you, I've went through 63 Christmas's if you count my first life." I study him intently. "You can go back and see days that are dead and gone and a hundred thousand sunsets ago . . . no wonder you never stay still . . ."

"Not a bad life." He answered.

"Better with two." I told him. We grin at each other for a few minutes. Then I slap his bum and dash towards the door. "Come on then!"

"Oi, oi, oi! Where do you think you're going?!" the Doctor took a hold of my hand, dragging me away from the doors.

"1860!" I laughed.

"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella! There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" I rush off to get changed. The Doctor grinning after me. The Doctor was doing some more unnecessary repair work. I watch him from the shadows of the archway to the stairs. I look down at the dress the TARDIS personally picked out for me. It was an elegant TARDIS blue and silver satin gothic Victorian dress, it had ruffles at the bottom that start as the blue and soon turned into the silver. My hair was pulled into a high bun, I had to magically grow my right side out of its side cut so it wouldn't look weird. My shawl was silver as well. I picked up some of the skirt and started to walk down the stairs. The Doctor turns off his sonic screwdriver and looks at me in surprise.

"Blimey!" he looked shocked.

"Don't laugh!" I laughed a bit.

"You look beautiful!" I stop laughing and shyly smile instead. There was a pause and the Doctor looks away awkwardly. ". . . considering." He turns on his screwdriver again.

"Considering what?" I asked curiously.

"That you're human!"

"You should have stop at 'you look beautiful', Doctor. Don't forget I'm a witch, and I know where you sleep." I said in amusement. "Aren't you going to change?"

"I've changed my jumper! Come on!" he jumps out of the space beneath the controls.

"You, stay there! You've done this before. This is mine!" I hurry towards the door and open it. I look out onto the street. I make one footprint in the untouched snow then withdraw my foot again. I, then step out altogether. The Doctor follows me.

"Ready for this?" I smile and he offers me his arm. I take it. "Here we go. History!" we walked off together. The Doctor and I walk down the street, observing everything – me in amazement, the Doctor with his usual grin on his face. He walks in another direction and I follow. There's carol singers behind us. The Doctor buys a newspaper from a little boy. He unfolds it and scans it.

"I got the flight a bit wrong." He told me.

"I don't care."

"It's not 1860, it's 1869." He turns to look at me.

"I don't care!"

"And it's not Naples." His light sky blue eyes connect with my grass green eyes.

"I don't care." I said honestly to him.

"It's Cardiff." He said seriously. I paused.

"Right . . ." The Doctor and I hear the screaming. The Doctor and I grin at each other.

"That's more like it!" he tosses the newspaper over his shoulder and runs in the direction of the screaming. I follow. The Doctor and I enter the building. We watch the gas zoom around.

"Fantastic." The last of the gas leaves an old woman's mouth and she slumps back in the chair, looking dead. The Doctor approaches the man on the stage. "Did you see where it came from?"

"Ah. The wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!" the Doctor looks slightly taken back. I look back to the old woman to see some old man and a girl around Rose's age making off with her.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" I yelled, starting to go after them. "Doctor, I'm going to check them out!"

"Be careful!" he jumps onto the stage. "Did it say anything? Could it speak? I'm The Doctor, by the way."

"Doctor? You look more like a navy." The old man on the stage said.

"What's **WRONG** with this jumper?" the Doctor said indignantly was the last thing I heard as I left the theatre. The girl and old man have successfully loaded the body into the back of the hearse, by the time I finally catch up with them.

"What're you doing?!" I demanded the girl.

"Oh, it's such a tragedy, miss. Don't worry yourself, me and the master will deal with it." She tries to bar me from seeing inside the hearse. "The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary." I push the girl aside and feel the old woman's forehead.

"She's cold . . . she's dead. But . . . that's impossible, that shouldn't be happening." I didn't notice the old man approaching me silently from behind. He clamps a tissue full of a drug, but once I inhaled the sweet smell, I knew it was chloroform; to my mouth and nose. I struggle for a few seconds, then go limp. I groan as I woke up, placing a hand to my head. I suddenly notice the corpse behind me. I jump in alarm as he starts making zombie noises at me.

"Merlin fuck, you have to be kidding right now!" he climbs out of the coffin. "This isn't possible! This shouldn't be happening, yet!" he takes staggering steps towards me. "I don't get paid enough for this dead shite." I run for the door, trying to open it. I back against the door. The old woman's body rises from the other coffin. I gasp in fear. I lobbed a vase at the man. It does nothing but to cause him to stumble slightly. I rattle the handle frantically.

"Let me out! Please! Open the door!" I shouted, the fear rising in my voice. "Please, let me out!" I look back at the corpses that are walking towards me in fear. I'm still hammering on the door as the corpses get closer and closer. "Let me out! Somebody, open the door! Open the door!" a hand is clasps over my mouth, muffling my high pitch scream. At that very moment, the Doctor kicks the door in.

"I think this is **MY** dance." He releases me from the corpse grip.

"It's a prank? It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." Dickens said trying to make heads and tails of this.

"No, we're not. The dead are walking." He grins down at me, which I'm still panting and shaking. "Hi!"

"Hi!" I rolled my eyes at him and looked over to the man beside us. "Who's your friend?"

"Charles Dickens." I nodded my head slowly.

"Oh. Okay."

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" the Doctor to the corpses.

"We're failing, open the rift, we're dying. Trapped in this form – cannot sustain – help us." Both of the corpses raise their heads to the ceiling. Blue gas leaves them with a wailing sound and both corpses fall to the floor. My eyes widen in shock, _'They're not even proper zombies, they're possessed corpses!'_ I shudder violently. We move to the sitting room.

Gwyneth poured us all tea while I was having a go at Sneed.

"First of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man." The Doctor sniggers.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" I ignored him.

"Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that isn't enough – you swan off! And left me to die! So come on – talk!" I yelled at him.

"It's not my fault, it's this house! It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back. And then the stiffs –" Dickens and I look mildly offended at him. ". . . the er, dear departed started getting restless."

"Tommyrot." Dickens tittered.

"You witnessed it! Can't keep the beggars down, sir! They walk. And it's the queerest thing that they hang on to scraps . . ." Gwyneth gives the Doctor his tea.

"Two sugars, sir just how you like it." The Doctor looks at her retreating back curiously.

"One old fella who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service! Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir! Just as she planned." Sneed said to us.

"Morbid fancy." Dickens scoffed.

"Oh, Charles, you were there." The Doctor said to him.

"I saw nothing but an illusion." Dickens looked to the Doctor.

"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up." Dickens looks stunned. "What about the gas?" the Doctor asked Sneed.

"That's new, sir, never seen anything like that." Sneed told him.

"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through." The Doctor looked around the house.

"What's the rift?" I asked him.

"A weak point in time and space. The connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time." I could tell he said the last part because of me.

"That's how I got the house so cheap." Sneed said with revelation. I watched Dickens sneak out of the room. "Stories going back generations. Echoes in the dark. Queer songs in the air and this feeling like a . . . shadow. Passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine." Gwyneth was lighting another gas lamp when I came in and start washing up.

"Please, miss! You shouldn't be helping! It's not right!" she fluttered.

"Don't be daft. Sneed works you to death." I hand her the cloth to dry up. "How much do you get paid?"

"Eight pound a year, miss." I looked over to her in shock.

"That much?"

"I know. I would've been happy with six." I stare at her dumbfounded.

"So, did you go to school or what?" she nodded.

"Of course I did. What do you think I am? An urchin? I went every Sunday. Nice and proper." I stared at the dish water in thought, "What – once a week?"

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second." She whispered to me.

"Me too." We both laugh.

"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own!" she said this as if this was completely outrageous.

"Oh, I never did that but my little sister did plenty of that. She'd go down to the shops with her mate Shareen. And they'd go and look at boys." Gwyneth stops laughing at once and looks scandalized.

"Well, I don't know much about that, miss." She turns back to the washing.

"Come on, times haven't changed that much! I bet you've done the same." I teased her.

"I don't think so, miss." She shakes her head.

"Gwyneth! You can tell me! Bet you've got your eye on someone." I look at her.

"I suppose. There is one lad . . ." I look at her extremely chuffed. "The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him!"

"Oh, I like a nice smile. Good smile, nice bum." I said without thinking. Gwyneth looks shocked.

"Well, I have never heard the like!" I just laugh, soon Gwyneth laughing too.

"Ask him out! Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start." I suggested.

"I swear, it is the strangest thing, miss. You've got all the clothes and the breeding but you talk like some sort of wild thing!"

I shrugged, "Maybe I am. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mr. Sneed."

"Ah, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in. Because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve." I instantly felt a bit guilty.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day. Sitting with them in paradise. I should be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you too, miss." She said sweetly.

"Maybe." I nod, then realize, "Um, who told you he was dead?" Gwyneth realizes what she's said and turns quickly back to the washing. _'She says things like Luna.'_

"I don't know, must've been the Doctor." She said lightly.

"I've never talked to the Doctor about him." I look at her sharply.

"You've been thinking about him lately, more than ever." I nodded curtly, it was true. Rose had been bugging me to talk to her about the day dad died.

"Yes, I suppose so . . . how do you know all this?" my tone a bit lighter.

"Mr. Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you miss." We laugh.

"No, no servants where I'm from." Well, if you don't count my first life.

"And you've come such a long way." I stared at her questioningly.

"What makes you think so?" I asked her a bit wary.

"You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that." She stares at me intently, "All those people rushing about. Half naked, for shame. And the noise . . . and the metal boxes racing past . . . and the birds in the sky . . . they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People flying. But's that's not all. You're older then you appear . . . your true people mourn for their lost heroine . . . holding sticks and muttering strange words. Witch craft! And you – you've flown so far, further than anyone! The things you've seen . . . the darkness . . . the big bad wolf –" she staggers backwards, looking afraid. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, miss!"

"It's . . . alright . . ." I paused, staring at her in confusion, for a minute I thought I saw Luna.

"Are you alright, miss?" Gwyneth asked me.

"I'm fine. It's just . . . you remind me of someone I lost a long time ago." I looked out the window, staring but not really seeing.

"What was their name? If you don't mind me asking, miss." I smiled slightly.

"Her name was Luna. Luna Lovegood. She was absolutely brilliant." Gwyneth stared at me for a moment.

"What happened to her?" I turned to her, looking at her cautiously. I bit my lip and worried it, I didn't know if I could trust her to keep what I was going to say a secret but she need to know the dangers of being a Seer and what it brings with it.

"My people got power hungry and wanted to get rid of the . . . normal people. They wanted the planet for our kind only but they had no idea how to get rid of them or what the normal people were planning. So they gathered up all of the people who had Seer blood in them, you could have been a full Seer or one without the power but still have Seer blood in you. Luna was more in the middle of the two. She could see things that others couldn't see but she didn't really see the future. The Ministry chose her for this ritual . . . they never really told us what it would do but that it would help her to see the future. But it was a lie, the Ministry drain her powers, killing her but Mione and I saw the truth that day and decide to put a stop to it." I wiped a tear away.

"I'm so sorry that happen to her." Gwyneth whispered. I sent a kind smile to her.

"Just be careful and cautious, Gwyneth." I told her.

"I can't help it – ever since I was a little girl. My mum said I had the sight." I grimace at the word 'sight'.

"But it's getting stronger. More powerful, is that right?" Gwyneth and I both jump as we turn to see the Doctor standing in the doorway.

"All the time, sir. Every night. Voices in my head." The Doctor moved to my side.

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key." He told her.

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table wrappers, all sorts." She looked at the both of us.

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do." The Doctor grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the kitchen.

"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth asked as she followed us.

"We're going to have a séance." We all seated around a tabled.

"This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of the Mists. Down in Mid Town. Come. We must all join hands." Gwyneth takes a hold of one of my hands.

"I can't take part in this." Dickens gets up.

"Humbug? Come on, open mind." The Doctor takes my other hand.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I try to un-mask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing." I silently agreed, if she was anything like Luna then these things were using her, like the Ministry did to Luna.

"Now, don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium." The Doctor smiled at Gwyneth.

"I can't believe you just said that." I muttered.

"Come on, we might need you." The Doctor said to Dickens. He sits back down. "Good man. Now, Gwyneth. Reach out."

"Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits?" Dickens and I roll our eyes. "Come. Speak to us that we may relive your burden." She raises her eyes to the ceiling. A murmuring fills the room.

"Can you hear that?" I asked everyone.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly." Dickens commented.

"Look at her." I whispered to myself, old memories of Luna started floating through my head.

"I feel them. I feel them!" the gas creatures begin to fill the room.

"What're they saying?" I whispered again.

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now look deep. Allow them through." I tighten my hold on the Doctor's hand when the memory of Luna's death popped up.

"I can't!" she told him.

"Yes you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link." Gwyneth looked almost pained. Then, suddenly she lowers her head and opens her eyes.

"Yes." Three gaseous figures appear behind her. Dickens' mouth drops open.

"Great God. Sprits from the other side!"

"The other side of the universe." The Doctor muttered. I looked at him from the corner of my eyes, sharply.

" _Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time, help us_."

"What do you want us to do?" I asked them, a tone of suspicious lit my voice.

" _The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge_."

"What for? Why should we!" I started to understand what they wanted, it was Luna's death all over again. Gwyneth's name flickering in head, causing me a bit of pain.

" _We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction_."

"Why, what happened?" The Doctor asked them when I made no move to speak.

" _Once we had a physical form like you. But then the war came_."

"War? What war?" Dickens asked.

" _The Time War_." The Doctor and I glanced at each other. " _The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state_."

"So that's why you the need the corpses." The Doctor said, his voice filled with realization.

" _We want to stand tall. To feel the sunlight. To live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste, give them to us_!"

"But we can't!" I exclaimed. The Doctor turn a sharp look on me. "No, it's not right." I said strongly.

"It could save –" I interrupted him before he could finish.

"The dead are not theirs to use, if they really wanted to learn to live so badly they could do it on their planet, they could learn to adapt. Those things coming to Earth makes no sense unless they wanted to take it over using the dead to do it." The Doctor looked a bit cautious at the thought.

" _Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth_." They disappear and Gwyneth collapsed forward onto the table. I get up immediately and go to her.

"Gwyneth!" I touched her shoulder, shaking it lightly. "Are you okay?"

"All true." I look up to Dickens. "It's all true." The Doctor is silent. I was dabbing up Gwyneth's forehead as she lied asleep on the couch. Slowly, her eyes open and she fidgets.

"It's alright. You just sleep." I cooed to her softly, brushing some hair away from her head.

"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me?" The Doctor was leaning on a wall just behind me.

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival." I turn around angrily at him.

"I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles." The Doctor leans his head back and sighs. I turn back to Gwyneth and offer her a drink.

"Drink this."

"Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?" Sneed asked.

"Aliens." The Doctor said simply.

"Like . . . foreigners, you mean?"

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there." He points skywards.

"Brecon?" I sniggered a bit behind my hand.

"Close. They've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes." The Doctor explains.

"Which is why they need the girl." They all looked to Gwyneth.

"They're not having her." I was getting angrier from the pain in my head and the memories.

"But she can help. Living on the rift, she's become part of it, she can open it up, make a bridge and let them through." The Doctor looked at me, I narrowed my eyes.

"Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers." I shook my head and bit my bottom lip, 'There's not enough bodies though.'

"Good system. It might work." I get up and walk over to the Doctor.

"You can't let them run around inside dead people!"

"Why not? It's like recycling." I stared at the Doctor in shock.

"Seriously though, you can't." I stressed.

"Seriously though, I can."

"It's wrong! Those bodies were living people! We should respect them even in death!" I hissed at him.

"Do you carry a donor card?" I looked him straight in the eye.

"No, I don't. Want to know why? Cause I can't! And that's different." I felt my eye's water.

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home." I go silent instantly. "You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying." He spoke to me in a softer tone.

"I don't care." I told him, my voice flat.

"Don't I get a say, miss?" Both the Doctor and I turn to look at her.

"Look. You don't understand." I said softly. I felt something poking around in my head, I immediately put my walls up.

"You would say that miss. Because that's very clear inside your head . . . I can't see what –" I turned a stony glare on her.

"Stay out of my head, Gwyneth." Everyone stared at me in shock from the coldness in my voice.

"I-I know my own mind. And the angels need me. Doctor, what do I have to do?" Gwyneth turned to the Doctor, though looking wary about her decision.

"You don't **HAVE** to do anything." He looked to her, seeing her cautiousness.

"They've been singing to me since I was a child. Sent by my mum on a holy mission. So tell me." The Doctor smiles at her.

"We need to find the rift." He approaches Sneed and Dickens. "This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mr. Sneed. What's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

"That would be the Morgue." I look at all of them still disgruntled.

"No chance you were gonna say 'gazebo', was there?" they all looked at me. The key turns in the Morgue, and we all trouped in, led by the Doctor.

"Talk about Bleak House." The Doctor said. I glared at his back.

"The thing is, Doctor – the Gelth won't succeed. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869."

"Time's in flux. It's changing every second. Your cozy little world could be rewritten like that." He clicks his fingers together, my glare darkening. "Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing."

"Doctor – I think the room is getting colder."

"Here they come." The Gelth flood into the room. Their leader position itself in an archway. It had the voice of a child.

" _You have come to help! Praise the Doctor! Praise him_!"

"Promise you won't hurt her!" my voice broke at the end. I felt someone take my hand and squeeze it.

" _Hurry! Please. So little time. Pity the Gelth_."

"I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, alright?" the Doctor told them.

"My angels. I can help them live." Gwyneth moved towards the Gelth.

"Okay, where's the weak point?" The Doctor asked.

"Here, beneath the arch." Gwyneth positions herself beneath the arch and repeats what they'd said. I rushed over to her.

"You don't have to do this." Gwyneth places her hands on my cheeks.

"My angels." She told me before whispering in my ear, "I'm sorry." I staggered backwards as she makes me claim her soul.

" _Establish the bridge, reach out of the void, let us through_!"

"Yes. I can see you! I can see you! Come!" Gwyneth shouted to the arch.

" _Bridgehead establishing_."

"Come! Come to me! Come to this world, poor lost souls!" she continued.

" _It has begun! The bridge is made_!" Gwyneth's mouth opened and the Gelth poured out of it. " _She has given herself to the Gelth_!"

"No!" I whispered feeling a tear roll down my cheek, watching Gwyneth's soul leave her and accept death as a friend, just like Luna's did.

"There's rather a lot of them, eh?" Dickens stated.

" _The bridge is open. We descend_." Suddenly, the figure becomes demonic. The gas turned from blue to red. " _The Gelth will come through in force_."

"You said that you were few in number!" Dickens shout at it.

" _A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses_." The bodies raised.

"Gwyneth . . . stop this! Listen to your master! This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, leave these things alone. I beg of you –"

"Mr. Sneed! Get back!" a corpse grabbed Sneed from behind and held him still while another of the Gelth fills his body through his mouth. The Doctor and I leapt back. Mr. Sneed looks up at us through blank, dead eyes. "I think it's gone a little bit wrong." I turned a sharp look on the Doctor.

" _I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come. March with us_."

"No!" the corpses advance on the Doctor and me.

" _We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead_." They were backing us against a dungeon door.

"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back! Now!" I grabbed the Doctors hand, turning his attention to me.

"She can't . . . Doctor, she can't." my bottom lip wavered, along with my voice. He stared at me.

" _Three more bodies. Make them vessels for the Gelth_."

"I—I can't! I'm sorry!" Dickens back towards the stairs. The Doctor looks behind him, spots the dungeon door, pushes me in there with him and slams it shut again so we're both locked in there. "It's too much for me! I'm so –" Dickens jumps and runs from the Morgue as one of the Gelth screeches and swoops at him. The corpses are clamoring to get into the dungeon.

" _Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth_."

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" the Doctor shouted at the Gelth. I buried my face into his chest, squeezing my eyes shut tight.

" _We don't want your pity! We want this world and all its flesh_." They rattled the door.

"Not while I'm alive." The Doctor wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

" _Then live no more_!" The Doctor and I are flattened against the dungeon wall while the Gelth are rattling the door. I look towards the Doctor before punching him on the arm.

"I told you so!" I glared at him, for not listening to me earlier.

"I'm sorry." His eyes soft as he stared down at me.

"It's 1869, how could . . . I could die?" I asked quietly, thinking. I could technically die for a few minutes while my body heals itself before coming back to life, it hurts like a bitch to come back to life so I try not to die as much as possible. I guess staying with the Doctor that won't happen. So these Gelth could take over my body if they killed me for a while.

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the 20th century and die in the 19th and it's all my fault. I brought you here." The Doctor said to me.

"It's not your fault. I wanted to come." I tried to reassure him.

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy! World War Five! I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party, now I'm going to die in a dungeon!" the Doctor look horrified, "In Cardiff!"

"It's not just dying. We'll become one of them." I said. "We'll go down fighting, yeah?" I asked him.

"Yeah." He agreed.

"Together?" I questioned him.

"Yeah!" we linked hands. "I'm so glad I met you." I looked up at him, surprised.

"Me too." We smiled at each other. At that moment, Dickens rushes into the room.

"Doctor! Turn **OFF** the flame, turn **UP** the gas! Now fill the room, all of it, now!" he told us.

"What're you doing?" the Doctor questions.

"Turn it all on! Gas the place!" he turns another one on.

"Brilliant. Gas!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"What, so you choke to death instead?" I said sarcastically.

"Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous!"

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" The corpses all decide to turn on Dickens instead.

"I hope . . . oh, Lord. I hope that this theory will be validated soon." The corpses advance dangerously on him. "If not immediately."

"Plenty more!" the Doctor smashed a gas canister against the wall and all the creatures are sucked from the bodies with a scream.

"It's working." The Doctor and I were free to come out of the dungeon.

"Gwyneth! Send them back! They lied, they're not angels." The Doctor said to her.

"Liars." She said simply.

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" The Doctor shouted at her.

"She . . . **CAN'T** " I chocked, not on the gas but on the sobs that wanted to escape. The Doctor looked at me worriedly.

"Charles, get her out." Dickens grabs my arm, but I shake him off.

"I'm not leaving her!" I cried to him.

"They're too strong." Gwyneth said to us.

"Remember that world you saw? Jessamine's World? All those people – none of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift." The Doctor told her.

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." She said firmly. Her hand goes to her apron pocket and she takes out a box of matches. I rushed forward.

"No! You can't!" I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Leave this place!" she hissed at me. The Doctor grabs my shoulders.

"Jessamine, get out, go now, I won't leave her while she's still in danger, now go!" Dickens takes a hold of my arms.

"No! You don't understand! Please, Doctor . . . I can't leave her again! I can't leave, Luna!" I sobbed, as Dickens and I left the Morgue. The Doctor holds his hand out for the matches.

"Now give that to me." Gwyneth doesn't respond. Dickens leads me back through the dark house, filled with gas.

"This way!" The whole house goes up in flames, the Doctor diving out of the doorway only just in time to join Dickens and me. I stared at the Doctor, tears pouring down my cheeks. I shook my head and looked away. I heard the Doctor walk towards me.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift."

"At such a cost. The poor child." Dickens said. I still haven't turned to look at the Doctor.

"I did try, Jessamine, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes." My shoulders start to shake, but I make no reply. "I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch." I finally turned to him.

"I know." I covered my face with my hands. The Doctor pulled me into a tight hug.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Even for you, Doctor." Dickens said.

"She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know." I whispered. All three of us gazed at the burning house. The Doctor, Dickens, and I arrived back at the TARDIS.

"Right then, Charlie-boy, I've just got to go into my um . . . shed. Won't be long!" the Doctor fits the key in the lock.

"What're you going to do now?" I asked Dickens.

"I shall take the mail coach back to London. Quite literally post – haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital." He said to me.

"You've cheered up!" The Doctor said loudly.

"Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world and now I know I've just started! All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor! I'm inspired. I must write about them!" Dickens said enthusiastically.

"Do you think that's wise?" I asked.

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word! Tell the truth!" Dickens told us.

"Good luck with it. Nice to meet you." The Doctor shakes Dickens' hand. "Fantastic." He turns back to the TARDIS door.

"Bye, then. And, thanks." I kissed him on the cheek. Dickens looked taken-aback.

"Oh, my dear – how modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand – in what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?" he asked us.

"You'll see. In the shed." The Doctor opens the door of the TARDIS.

"Oh, my soul. Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this – who are you?" There was a pause.

"Just a friend. Passing through."

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor – do they last?" he asked the Doctor.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor answered.

"For how long?"

"Forever!" I said. Dickens tries to look pleased and modest at the same time.

"Right. Shed. Come on, Jessamine . . ." we both turn to the door.

"In – in the box? Both of you?" Dickens said suggestively.

"Down boy. See ya!" the Doctor laughed. We entered the TARDIS and shut the door after us.

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghost?" I asked the Doctor.

"In a week time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story." We both look at the screen where we can see Dickens was still standing outside.

"Oh, no. He was so nice." I told him.

"But in your time, he was already dead! We've brought him back to life! He's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie-boy. Let's give him one last surprise." He hits a button and the engines rev up. We smiled as we watched Dickens' face when the TARDIS disappears before his eyes. After a while the Doctor turns to me.

"Jessamine." I looked up to him.

"Yes, Doctor?" I tilted my head just a bit.

"Who's Luna?" I froze, my mind went blank before the memories came to the forefront of my mind, full force, again. I grimaced in pain, sadness, and anger.

"She was a friend, from my first life." I left after that, going back to the closet to change out of the dress.


	4. Aliens in London

The TARDIS materialized outside of Powell Estate. Both the Doctor and I step out. The Doctor leans against the door and folds his arms.

"How long have I been gone?" I asked him.

"About 12 hours." We laughed.

"Right, I won't be long, I'm going to see mum and Rose." I looked over to him.

"What're you going to tell them?" he asked me.

"I don't know! I've been to the year 5 billion . . . and only been gone, what, 12 hours?" the Doctor made a sound that was a combination of a laugh and a snort. "No, I'll just tell them I was out about walking off some night terrors. See you later!" I began to walk off, then turn back. "Oh, don't you disappear." The Doctor gave me a look that said 'as if I would' and I run off in the direction of the flats. He settles himself against the TARDIS to wait for me. I run up the stairs to my flat, grinning. I open the door to my flat.

"I'm back! It was just night terrors again. Are you guys in?" Mum walks out of the kitchen holding a cup of tea, followed by Rose. "So, what's been going on? How've you guys been?" they both looked as if they've seen a ghost. "What? What's those faces for? It's not the first time I've stayed out all night." Mum drops her cup of tea and it smashes on the floor.

"It's you." Rose said like she couldn't believe it.

"Of course it's me!" I exclaimed to her.

"Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God." Mum seemed shaken and teary. She throws her arms around me, soon Rose joins. I look at them alarmed. Then, over mum's and Rose's sobbing shoulders, I notice several variations of the same 'Where is Jessa?' posters. At that moment, the Doctor comes crashing in.

"It's not 12 hours, it's er . . . 12 months. You've been gone a whole year." He laughs apologetically while we all looked at him, stunned. "Sorry." Mum looks back at me, stroking my hair, while Rose nuzzles her head into my neck.

"The hours we've sat here. Days and weeks and months all by ourselves. We thought you were dead. And where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that mean? Travelling? That's no sort of answer." I was sitting on the couch with Rose holding my right arm hostage in both of hers, her head still in the crook of my neck, while mum gave me all she's got. A policeman was sitting in armchair. "You ask her. She won't tell me! That's all she says. Travelling." She said to the policeman.

"That's what I was doing, mum."

"When your passport's still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another." mum gestured furiously. I pried Rose off and stood in front of her, putting my hands on her shoulders.

"I'm not lying, mum. I would never do that to you, you know that. I meant to phone, I really did, I just . . . I forgot." I said to soothe her.

"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And Rose and I left sitting here? I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?" she places her hands to cup my cheeks. She was close to tears.

"Actually, it's my fault. I sort of er, employed Jessa as my companion." The Doctor spoke up from his seat in the other armchair. _'Again with the Jessa, why does he do that?'_

"When you say 'companion', is this a sexual relationship?" the policeman asked.

"No!" both the Doctor and I shouted in union. Mum lets go of my face.

"Then what is it? Because you, you waltz in here all charms and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the earth! How old are you then? 40? 45? What, you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?" she advanced dangerously on the Doctor.

"I **AM** a Doctor!"

"Prove it! Stitch this, mate!" she slaps him hard around the face. The Doctor groans loudly while I roll my eyes. Mum and Rose were hugging, once I turned around.

"Did you think about us at all?" Rose asked me while they both are crying. I stand back slightly.

"I did! All the time! But . . ." Mum pulled away from Rose and engulfed me in a hug.

"One phone call. Just to know that you were alive." She sobbed into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I really am." I held out a hand to Rose, once she grabbed it, I dragged her in to the hug.

"Do you know what terrifies me, is that you still can't say. What happened to you, Jessa? What could be so bad that you can't tell me, sweetheart? Where were you?" I couldn't answer her. I went to the roof of the building and sat on the wall. The Doctor followed and leaned against it.

"I can't tell them. I can't even begin . . . they're never going to forgive me. And I missed a year? Was it good?"

"Middling." The Doctor shrugged.

"You're so useless." I sighed.

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you gonna stay here now?" the Doctor asked.

"Hell no, I'm not staying here but I can't do that to them again, though."

"Well, they're not coming with us." I bursts out laughing at that thought and the Doctor joins in.

"No chance." I said after I calmed down.

"I don't do families."

"She slapped you!"

"900 years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother." The Doctor told me.

"Your face." I recalled the face he made after mum slapped him.

"It hurt!"

"You're so gay!" the Doctor rubbed his cheek, offended. "When you say 900 years, that means your age right?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Well, if you count my age from my first life and this one. I would be 63 years old. Well technically I'm now 24 so it would now be 64 years old . . . God I'm old! " The Doctor turns to me.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, I was forty when I activated the Time Lock. I was also married to a wonderful man and we had a fifteen year son. I miss them so much, I hope they know that, that I miss them and love them." I felt a tear fall. "My mum was right – that is one hell of an age gap." I switch the topics and jump off the wall. "Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet earth who knows they exist." As if right on cue, a spacecraft narrowly misses our heads as it falls from the sky and heads for Central London. It smashes into Big Bens, then lands with a splash in the Thames. The Doctor and I stand up with our mouths open. "Oh, that's just not fair." The Doctor laughs gleefully, grabs my hand, and pulls me off in the direction of the action.

It's complete mayhem on the streets. The Doctor and I arrive on the scene.

"It's blocked off."

"We're miles from the centre. The scene must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down." I told him.

"I know, I can't **BELIEVE** I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!" he seems really happy about this.

"Did you know this was going to happen?" I asked.

"Nope!"

"Do you recognize the ship?"

"Nope!"

"Do you know why it crashed?"

"Nope!"

"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you." I said sarcastically.

"I bet you are! This is what I travel for, Jessamine! To see history happening right in front of us." Well, he obviously didn't catch my sarcasm.

"Well, let's go and see it! Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS."

"Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London, don't want to shove another one on top." He told me.

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice. I could put a notice-me-not charm on it?" I said.

"You'll be surprised, an emergency like this – there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me, the TARDIS stays where it is. No magic, Jessamine, you'll get weak again." I looked at him distinctly disgruntled.

"So, history's happening and we're stuck here. I can do it, it's just been awhile since I used magic, not exactly been a magic user this life when there's no one else." I grumbled.

"Yes, we are. And I understand, but baby steps, we'll just do baby steps first, Jessamine." He places a hand on my shoulder.

"Alright, baby steps." I sighed, "But we could always do what everybody else does." The Doctor looks at me questioningly. "We could watch it on TV." The Doctor looks as though this is a completely new idea to him.

"Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in form across the country to control wide-spread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchinson is at the scene."

The Doctor and I are watching the TV intently.

"The police urge the public not to panic. There's a help line number on screen right now if you're worried about friends or family."

We change the channel over to an American news channel.

"The military are on the lookouts for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American air space have been grounded."

We turn it back to News 24.

"The army are sending divers into the wreck of the spaceship. No one knows what they're going to find."

Back to the American channel.

"The President will address the nation live from the White House. But the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies."

Mum comes in to give me a cup of tea that I asked for. I took a sip and hummed in happiness at the taste of honey sweeten peppermint tea.

"I've got no choice! Either I make him welcome, or I run the risk of never seeing her again!" Mum and her friend Marianna were babbling on angrily at the other.

"Oi! I'm trying to listen!" the Doctor yelled to them and turn the volume up a bit more.

". . . his currents whereabouts. News is just coming in, we can go to Tom at the embankments." They show the reporter, "They've found a body."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"It's unconfirmed but I'm being told a body has been found in the wreckage. A body of non-terrestrial origins. It's being brought ashore."

Mum enters the room giving a bottle of wine to a couple of people. "Oh, guess who asked me out – Billy Crewe." The Doctor and I shake our heads.

"Unconfirmed reports say that the body is of extra-terrestrial origin. An extraordinary event unfolding here live in Central London. The body is being transferred to a secure unit mortuary. The whereabouts is yet unknown."

The TV channels a few times and comes to a rest on Blue Peter.

"And when you've stuck your things on, you can cover the whole lot . . ."

I turned to see the Doctor trying to wrestle the TV remote off a toddler that's on his lap. I get up and sit beside him to see that it's Jeremy.

"Ooo, look at that. Then, ice it, any colour you want – here's one I made a little bit earlier – look at that. Your very own spaceship ready to eat. And there's something a little extra special –"

The Doctor changes the channel back to News 24.

". . . in hospital. We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body has been brought here, Albian Hospital, the roads closed off – it's the closest to the river."

Jeremy hops off the Doctors lap and stands in front of the TV screen. The Doctor points violently sideways. "Go on!" I slapped him on the shoulder and stand up, walking over to Jeremy.

"Now, that's not a very handsome look on your face, Jeremy. Let's see if I can turn this frown." I picked him up and then flipped him upside down holding him by his legs. "Upside down!" I laughed at his child giggles. I switched him around and he hugged me, giggling in my ear. "Now there's that handsome look I was wanting." I put him back on the ground. "Want to see who can count the most stars, Jeremy?" I asked, he nodded his head and ran to my bedroom. I ran after him, giggling on my way, missing the Doctor's look at me and the rest of the news. It's dark when the Doctor slips outside the back door of my flat. I emerged after him.

"And where do you think you're going?" I asked him.

"Nowhere! It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all." He said to me.

"Right – there's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just 'wandering'." I used my fingers to make the quote signs when I said wandering.

"Nothing to do with me! It's not an invasion! That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of decent, colour of smoke, everything! It's perfect!"

"So? I think it's a bit too perfect, if you asked me." I said to him.

"So maybe this is it! First contact! The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've **GOT** to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay! Now you can expand!" he laughed in delight. I smiled. "You don't need me – go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum and sister." He begins to walk away.

"Promise you won't disappear?" I asked in a small voice but still loud for him to hear. The Doctor stops and turns around again. He feels his jacket pockets.

"Tell you what – TARDIS key." He hands it to me, "About time you had one." He grins. "See you later!" he leaves. I look down at the key in my hand, closed my fist around it and walk back to the flat door, looking distinctly chuffed. Our sitting room was getting extremely crowded for my taste. Mum raised her wine glass in a toast.

"Here's to the Martians!" she shouted. I rolled my eyes.

"The Martians!" everyone repeated. Suddenly the laughter dies away. I look around to see why everyone gone quiet. I looked in the direction they were to see Mickey standing in the doorway, staring at me. I sit up quickly.

"I was gonna come and see you." He just stares at me. I felt a bit unnerved.

"Someone owes Mickey an apology." I heard a woman say.

"I'm sorry." I immediately said after that.

"Not you." The same woman said. She looked at mum.

"It's not my fault. Be fair. What was I supposed to think?" mum gives Mickey a look and walks into the kitchen.

"You disappear – who do they turn to? Your best mate. Five times, I was taken in for questioning. Five times. No evidence, of course there couldn't be, could there. And then I get her and even my own girlfriend – your mother and sister." He points to mum and Rose, who both rolled their eyes. I looked at Rose in shock. "Whispering around the estate – pointing the finger – stuff through my letterbox – and all 'cos of you."

"I didn't think I'd be gone so long." I admitted to him a bit guilty at my family actions to him.

"And I waited for you, Jessa! Twelve months. Waiting for you and the Doctor to come back." He looked me dead straight in the eyes.

"Hold on, you knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell us?" Mickey noticed someone trying to listen through the window into the kitchen. He slams them shut and closes the door.

"Yeah, yeah. Why not, Jessa? Huh? How could I tell them where you went?" he said mockingly.

"Tell me now, Jessa!" Mum tone started to sound demanding.

"I might as well, 'cos you're stuck here. The Doctor's gone. Just now, that box thing just faded away." I snapped my head to him, fear starting to crawl through my veins.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"He's left you. Some boyfriend **HE** turned out to be." I run from the kitchen, grabbing my leather jacket from the back of the door on my way out. Mickey and Rose following me. Mum stays sitting down, probably frustrated. The three of us arrive at the spot where the TARDIS was parked, standing there.

"He wouldn't just go, he promised me." I said trying to deny the truth.

"Oh, he dumped you, Jessa. Sailed off into space. How does it feel, huh? Now you're left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it." Mickey said spitefully.

"But he would have said." Mum walks over to us.

"What're you two chimps going on about? What's going on? What's this Doctor done now?" Mickey chortles.

"He's vamoosed!"

"He's not! 'Cos he gave me this!" I said angrily at him. I show him the TARDIS key. Mickey gives me a 'so what?' shrug. "He's not my boyfriend, Mickey, he's better than that. He's much more important then –" I break off as the TARDIS key starts to glow in time with the sound of the TARDIS engines. "I said so." I may have sounded a bit smug. The engines get louder. I turn to my mum and sister. "Mum! Rose! Guys, go inside. Guys, don't stand there, just go inside. Just – mum, Rose, go –" they weren't listening to me. They stared transfixed over my shoulder, where the TARDIS was appearing out of thin air. The engines grind to a halt. Mickey points to the TARDIS meaningfully.

"Uh?" I rolled my eyes at him. Rose and mum stare at the TARDIS in amazement.

"How'd you do that, then?" Rose asked. I look at them warily. I enter the TARDIS, finding the Doctor looking at a computer screen.

"Alright, so I lied! I went and had a look, but the whole crash landing's a fake – I thought so, it's just too perfect . . . liked you said. I mean, 'hitting Big Ben' come on, so I thought let's go and have a look –"

"My family's here." I interrupted him. The door creaks open and Rose, Mickey, and mum enter. The Doctor looks around.

"Oh, that's **JUST** what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic!" he pointed at me.

"You ruined my life, Doctor." The Doctor spins smoothly around to face him. "They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."

"See what I mean? Domestic." He said to me. The Doctor spins back to face the computer screen. Mickey takes a few steps towards him.

"I bet you don't even remember my name!" Mickey shouted.

"Rickey." The Doctor said with a tilt of his head.

"It's Mickey." Mickey ground out.

"No, it's Rickey."

"I think I know my own name."

"You **THINK** you know your own name? How stupid are you?" Rose and mum, whom have been looking around the TARDIS with bewildered expressions, turn and run outside again.

"Mum, Rose, don't!" I turned to the Doctor, "Don't go anywhere!" then to Mickey, "Don't start a fight!" I run out the doors in pursue. "Mum, Rose, it's not like that! He's not – I'll be up in a minute, hold on!" I run back inside the TARDIS and back to the Doctor's side, where he's looking at his monitor again. "That was a **REAL** spaceship?"

"Yep!"

"So, it's all a pack of lies? What is it then, are they invading?" Mickey stands on his tip-toes to peer over our shoulders to look at the screen.

"Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert." He said.

"Good point! So, what're they up to?" the Doctor said mildly impressed. Inside the TARDIS, Mickey was peering curiously down at the Doctor, where he was once more, wedged under the console.

"So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked.

"Rickey." It was short of muffled, because he was holding the sonic screwdriver between his teeth.

"Mickey." I sighed at their childish bickering. The Doctor takes the sonic screwdriver out of his mouth, making himself clearer.

"Rickey." Mickey rolls his eyes. "If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?" I had to agree to the 'magnificent' part, she was absolutely wonderful and a beauty. The humming sang a joyous tune, making me smile up at the ceiling.

"I suppose not . . ." Mickey muttered. I wondered if the humming could turn to talking like the Face of Bo.

"Of course, my Sorceress."

"The bleedin' fuck!" I yelled as I felled off my seat on the railing. I could hear girlish giggles in my head. "Oi! It ain't funny, that bloody hurt, ya stupid box." I rubbed my head, the giggling just getting louder. The Doctor's and Mickey's faces appeared above the rail, looking down at me in worry and confusion.

"Jessa-"

"Mine?" They both looked at the other in distaste. "Right. What happened, Jessamine?" the Doctor asked as he hopped over the rail. He looked over my head, I flinched away when he touch the bump, "Sorry."

"It's alright. I was just . . . I dunno. You called the TARDIS magnificent and I agreed, she is absolutely wonderful and a beauty is what I thought afterwards. Then the humming sang such a joyous tune after that," I looked over to the Doctor, staring him right in the eye, "It made me smile, Doctor. She sounded so happy, so very happy." I look up to the ceiling again, tilting my head to the side, "I was just thinking, wondering really, if the humming could turn to talking, like the Face of Bo." The Doctor helped me stand up.

"And that caused you to fall?" he ask with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head.

"No." I looked back to him, "She spoke to me, Doctor. The TARDIS spoke to me."

"What did she say?" he took me by the shoulders, his face unreadable.

"Of course, my Sorceress." I told him, "Is something wrong, Doctor?" he smiled at me and pulled me into a hug. "Doctor?" I could still hear the humming, she sounded so, I can't even explain how she sounds; there are no words for it.

"Nothing's wrong, Jessamine, you're just . . . magnificently different but in a good way." The Doctor looked a bit anxious when he finish. I just smile brightly at him and shake my head.

"I'm just a special case, right Doctor?" I teased like I did on platform one.

"Oh, no doubt there, Jessamine." He teased back, a beaming smile on his face. Suddenly, someone clear their throat, making me and the Doctor jump away from each other. We looked up to the rail to see Mickey still standing there.

"Right." The Doctor looks to him, "Shut it, then!" he goes back to the controls and puts the sonic screwdriver back between his teeth. Mickey gives him the evil eye, I move back to the railing and hop up beside him.

"Some friend you've got." He said loud enough for the Doctor to hear.

"He's just winding you up." Mickey still looks slightly upset and doesn't answer, "I am sorry."

"It's okay." He looks away from me.

"I am, though!" I said earnestly.

"Every day, I looked. On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year." boy, does he make me feel like an absolute shite.

"It's only been a few days for me. It's hard to tell time in here, but I swear it's been a few days since I left you guys." I looked over to the Doctor, watching him work.

"Not enough time to miss me, then?" Mickey asked, the Doctors eyes snapped over to us. I looked back to Mickey.

"Of course, I missed you." I smiled at him.

"I missed you." He replied. I looked away again back to the Doctor.

"So, erm . . . you and Rose are obviously over. So in twelve months, have you been seeing anyone else?" I ask, actually wanting to know how he's been since I was gone. Mickey was always my best mate since pre-school and he would always be.

"No." his face falls.

"Kay . . ." obviously wrong thing to ask.

"Mainly because everyone thinks I murdered you." Yes, most defiantly the wrong thing to ask.

"Right." I said slowly, shrugging my shoulders at the Doctor when he raised an eyebrow.

"So . . . now that you've come back . . . are you gonna stay?" he leans in like he was going to kiss me, but before he could the sound of sparks came from beneath the console, breaking me from the moment.

"Got it! Haha!" I moved to join the Doctor. "Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of the spaceship, here we go . . . hold on . . ." he whacks the computer screen. "Come on!" he shows me the graphic on the screen. "That's the spaceship on its way to Earth . . . see? Except . . . hold on . . . see, the spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."

"That means it came from Earth in the first place – it went up and came back down, right Doctor?" I asked him, looking over my shoulder to him.

"Fantastic, Jessamine! Absolutely correct. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived. They've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?" the Doctor said crossing his arms. The Doctor was switching the television from the channel to channel, with Mickey standing beside him.

"How many channels do you get?" he asked.

"All the basic packages." The Doctor replied.

"You get sports channels?" I rolled my eyes at Mickey.

"Yes, I get the football." The Doctor looks back at the screen. "Hold on, I know that bloke."

"It is looking likely that the government is bringing in alien specialists – those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space."

"UNIT! United Nations Intelligence Task force – good people." The Doctor said to me.

"How do you know them?" I asked.

"'Cos he's worked for them. Yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet . . . and in the history books, and there's his name. Followed by a list of the dead." I looked over to Mickey with a blank face.

"That's nice. Good boy, Rickey." The Doctor said sarcastically.

"He's a hero, Mickey." They both snapped their heads towards me, I was looking at the screen. "And being a hero, you have one true companion forever, Death. Every single firemen, policemen, hospital workers, anyone that helps save lives has a list of the dead with a list of the saved. So next time you open your mouth, think before you say something stupid again." I looked at the Doctor from the corner of my eye, to see another unreadable expression. "If you know them, why don't you go and help?"

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover . . . and eh, better keep the TARDIS out of site. Rickey! You've got a car – you can do some driving." The Doctor walks towards the TARDIS door.

"Where to?!" Mickey asked following him.

"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship." We stepped out of the TARDIS to the sounds of helicopters – we were immediately spotted out by a searchlight.

"Do not move!"

Police cars and soldiers surround us, pointing guns at us, preventing any possibility to escape. Mickey makes a run for it. Mum and Rose run out of the flats and they try to get to me but four soldiers restrain them.

"No!" my mum shouted. Mickey was hiding behind some dustbins. The Doctor and I were standing in the centre looking slightly confused in the searchlight.

"Raise your hands above your heads! You are under arrest!" the Doctor and I obeyed.

"Take me to you leader!" I heard the Doctor cheer, I face palmed.

"Really?!" I hissed to him as I climbed into the back of the police car next to the Doctor. The door shuts and we are driven off. "'Take me to you leader.' Of all things to say, you say that. Of course you would say that." I crossed my arms and kick the passenger seat that's in front of me, making the man in it glare at me. "Getting arrested isn't exactly undercover, Doctor."

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted!" he said excitedly to me.

"Escorted? What, to Downing Street?" I asked. The Doctor starts laughing. "You're kidding."

"I'm not!"

"10 Downing Street?"

"That's the one!" I laugh with glee.

"Oh, my God! I'm going to 10 Downing Street?" the Doctor nods, grinning. "How come?"

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, uh – noticed." He shrugged at me.

"Now they need you?" I asked.

"Like it said on the news –they're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot." He grins at me expectantly.

"Patrick Moore?" I asked teasingly.

"Apart from him!" he exclaimed.

"Ah, don't you just love it!" I giggled.

"I'm telling you, Lloyd George – he used to drink me under the table. Who's the Prime Minister now?" he looked around the car and out the windows.

"How should I know? I missed a year." the car pulled up outside 10 Downing Street. The paparazzi and hundreds of police men are there. The Doctor gets out of the car and waves at them all, grinning manically. I frown at them, even in this life I still hate paparazzi. I looked up at 10 Downing "Oh my God!" I muttered under my breath. I followed the Doctor inside. I watched as a woman entered the room were all the alien experts are standing around talking, waiting for the meeting to begin. I saw her flash an ID card at the policeman standing guard at the door.

"Harriet Jones – MP – Flydale North." She begins to mingle with the others, until a young man enters the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, could we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right and can I remind you, ID cards are to be worn at all times." The man approaches the Doctor and I, he gives the Doctor an ID card. I stared at it, getting the same ill feeling I got from the silver egg spider thing. "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without her." The Doctor loops the ID card around his neck. I yanked it off of him quickly, the Doctor raised an eyebrow at me.

"You're the code nine, not her." The guy gave me a confused look. The woman from before sidles up to us."I'm sorry, Doctor . . . it is the Doctor, isn't it? She'll have to stay outside."

"She's staying with me." The Doctor argued.

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in and that's a fact." He pointed to the meeting room. I turned to the Doctor.

"It's alright, you go, just . . . don't wear the ID card." I said to him. The woman appeared at the guys shoulder.

"Excuse me? Are you the Doctor?" the guy looks positively exasperated.

"Not now, we're busy – can't you go home?"

"Are you sure and why not?" the Doctor asked me.

"Yeah, they're the experts, you should hear what they've got to say. It's just a bad ill like feeling, like I got from the spider thing on platform one." I looked up at him, "Don't wear it, please."

"Alight, I s'pose so. Don't get into any trouble." The Doctor follows the other experts into the room.

"I just need a word in private." The woman said to the guy.

"You haven't got clearance, now leave it!" he takes my arm. "I'm going to have to leave you with security." He begins to lead me away.

"It's alright. I'll look after her. Let me be of some use." She takes me away from the guy. "Walk with me. Just keep walking . . ." we walked pasted the guards at the door, "That's right . . . don't look round! Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North." She shows me her ID card. Harriet and I were outside the corridor talking.

"This friend of yours . . . he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?" she asked me, sounding upset and distressed.

"Why do you want to know?" Harriet broke down into tears. I took her arms awkwardly in an attempt to comfort her. Harriet brought me to the cabinet room and was showing me a body that looked like a suit.

"They turned the body into a suit! A disguise for the thing inside!" she burst into tears again. I inwardly groan, 'Tears, I hate tears.'

"It's alright! I believe you. It's alien, they must have some **SERIOUS** technology behind this . . . if we could find it . . ." I start rummaging around the room, ". . . we could use it." I open a cupboard and a body falls out. Harriet and I hurry to examine it. "Oh, my God! Is that?" the guy from before enters.

"Harriet, for God's sake! This has gone beyond a joke – you cannot just wander –"he spots the body on the floor. "Oh, my God! That's the Prime Minister!"

"Ohhh!" Harriet, the guy, and I turn to see an overweight woman enter the cabinet room. "Has someone been naughty?" we all look at each other. The woman shuts the door behind her.

"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street, he was driven away!" the guy panicked.

"And who told you that? Hmm?" she walks over to the baffled man, I pulled him back behind me. "Me." She strokes the hair from her forehead. The woman pulls of her skin, revealing herself to the disgust and shock of Harriet, the guy, and I. The woman is now entirely out of her skin suit. She stands before us, all of us looking astounded. The woman roars in delights and grabs at me, I threw up a quick protego. I made us walk backwards towards the door. I wince as the alien hits at the shield, making me reinforce it but also making me pant for breath.


	5. World War III

The alien is suddenly covered in electricity, I drop the charm and stared at it. I turn to look at Harriet and man behind me.

"I'm sorry, what's your name?" I asked him.

"Indra." He looked a bit green, I nodded.

"Well, Indra, Harriet . . . **RUN**!" I shouted. I grabbed Harriet's and Indra's hands and run from the room, both of them whimpering slightly, I was probably looking a bit straight face. We're all running down a corridor.

"No, wait!" we stop, "They're still in there! The emergency protocols! We need them!" Harriet runs back in the direction of the cabinet room. I follow her, dragging Indra behind me, but we're quickly forced to change direction as the alien comes our way. She chases us. We run across a hallway, I close the door behind us, but the alien simply leaps through it. We arrived back in another room, shutting the doors behind us again. The alien was still chasing us. I kick open a locked door. The lift pings open, revealing the Doctor. The alien roars at him, and all he does is smile and nods around at all of us. I rolled my eyes. ' _He would_.'

"Hello!" he said pleasantly. The door shuts again, distracting the alien long enough for us to slip away unnoticed. We find ourselves in a room with all the doors locked, basically a dead end.

"Hide!" I yelled softly to them. Harriet hides behind a Chinese folding screen, Indra behind the curtains, and I hide in front of a table that behind a couch. The hiding spots were extremely poor spots to hide. The alien enters the room we're hiding in.

"Oh, such fun! Little human children . . . where are you? Sweet little humeykins . . . come to me . . . let me kiss you better . . ." the thing said playfully. I bolted from my hiding spot behind the table to take refuge behind the curtains with Indra. ". . . kiss you with my big, green lips." It hisses. I hear Indra whimper softly, I grab his hand and give it a gently, reassuring squeeze. "My brothers." The she-alien spoke. ' _There's more of these things_!'

"Happy hunting?" one asked her.

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink."

"Sweat . . . and fear." Harriet's mouth drops open with horror and Indra whimpers again.

"I can smell an old girl . . . stale bird . . . brittle bones."

"And two ripe youngster. All hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before they snap." The she-alien sweeps the curtain aside revealing Indra and I, both of us scream. Harriet jumps out from her hiding place.

"No! Take me first! Take me!" the Doctor crashes in and blasted a fire extinguisher in the aliens faces.

"Out! With me!" I pull the curtains down over the she-alien head and then grabbed Indra hand again and ran to the Doctor with Harriet following. The Doctor looks at Harriet and Indra. "Who the hell are you?"

"Harriet Jones – MP for Flydale North." She flashes her badge again.

"Indra." He whimpered from behind me.

"Nice to meet you both." The Doctor said.

"Likewise." Harriet said, Indra just nodded. The Doctor blasted the fire extinguisher again. Then we run for it.

"We need to get to the cabinet rooms!" the Doctor yelled to us.

"The Emergency Protocols are in there! They give instructions on aliens!" Harriet told him.

"Harriet Jones – I like you." I rolled my eyes.

"And I like you too."

"Oi! It's nor the time or place to be flirting, Doctor!" I yelled up to him as we run, the Doctor bypasses a locked door with his sonic screwdriver and the aliens pursued us all the way back to the cabinet room. By the time we got there, we didn't have time to close the door, I watched as the Doctor picks up a bottle of brandy and hold his sonic screwdriver to it.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof! We all go up. So back off." The aliens hesitated. "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?" so that's what they're name was.

"They're aliens." I rolled my eyes at the obvious, Harriet stated.

"Yes. I got that, thanks." The Doctor said a bit sarcastically.

"Who are you, if not human?" one of the male Slitheen asked.

"Who's not human?" Indra asked me.

"He's not human." I pointed at the Doctor's back.

"He's not human?" Harriet repeated.

"Can I have a bit of hush?" the man in questioned asked.

"Sorry." Harriet said.

"So – what's the plan?"

"But he's got a Northern accent." Indra whispered.

"Lots of planets have a North." I said repeating what the Doctor told me when we first met.

"I said hush. Come on!" he holds the brandy threateningly out in front of him. "You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government – what for? Invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God forsaken rock?" I think it was the other male this time that spoke.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here – what is it?" the Doctor asked.

"'The Slitheen race'?" one male asked.

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Sliteen at your service." Alright, that was a long hell of a name to remember, I'm just going to call them 'Thing 1' and 'Thing 2'.

"So, you're family?" I asked from behind the Doctor.

"It's a family business." Thing 1 said.

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a 'God forsaken rock'?" the Doctor asked.

"Ahhh . . . excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability . . .?" Thing 2 asked the Doctor.

"Is that what I said?" face meet palm.

"You're making it up!"

"Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it." He offers her the brandy.

"Pass it to the left first." Harriet said.

"Sorry." He hands it to me.

"Thanks." I said dryly.

"Now we can end this hunt . . . with a slaughter." Thing 2 flexes his claws menacingly. The Doctor folds his arms.

"Don't you think we should run?" Indra ask. The Slitheen shuffled forward.

"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the cabinet room – if the cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain." He presses a switch near the door, "End of lesson." Every entrance to the room is immediately blocked by metal shutters. The Doctor turns to us. "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And how do we get out, madman?" I asked, there was a pause.

"Ah." My face met my palm, again. The Doctor drags the Prime Ministers body into a cupboard and crosses his hands over his body. "Sorry." He strides back into the room. "Right, what have we got? Any terminals? Anything?"

"No. The place is antique. What I don't get, is when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?" I asked.

"He's too slim – they're big old beasts, they need to fit inside big humans." The Doctor said.

"But the Slitheen are about 8 feet, how do they squeeze inside?" I pointed out.

"That's the device around their necks – compression field – literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas, its big exchange." He said.

"Rose could use a compression field, she could fit a size smaller." I muttered low enough that only Harriet heard.

"Excuse me, people are dead, this is not the time for making jokes." She scolded me.

"Sorry . . . you get used to this stuff when you're friends with him." ' _And when you're the Mistress of Death_.' I left that unsaid, no need to cause more panic. I indicated to the Doctor, who was busy scanning the walls with his sonic screwdriver.

"Well, that's a strange friendship." Harriet said to me.

"You've no idea." I said back to her.

"Harriet Jones – I've heard that name before – Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?" The Doctor asked.

"Huh! Hardly!"

"Rings a bell, Harriet Jones . . ." the Doctor looked as if he was struggling to remember something.

"Lifelong back bencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now – the protocols are redundant, they list the people who can help and they're all dead downstairs." Now that she mention it, my head was killing me.

"Hasn't it got like, defense codes and things? Cen we just launch a nuclear bomb at 'em." Harriet and I stare at Indra.

"You're a very violent young man . . ." she said.

"I'm serious! We could!" he banged his fist on the table, making me jump at the sudden sound and action.

"Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations." The Doctor stops scanning the mantelpiece with his sonic screwdriver to listen.

"Say that again." he told her.

"What, about the codes?" she asked.

"Anything. **ALL** of it."

"Um, well . . . the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN." Harriet said.

"Like that's ever stopped them." I scoffed, crossing my arms.

"Exactly, given our past record – and I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the governments hands and given to the UN." The Doctor was in deep thought. "Is it important?"

"Everything's important." He said.

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me, I'm saying 'Slitheen' as if it's normal." Harriet sat down at the table.

"What do they want, though?" I asked.

"Well, it's just one family so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen world . . . they're out to make money, which means they want to use something, something here on Earth . . . some kind of asset." The Doctor said.

"Like what? Gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet list of a couple of things.

"You're very good at this." I rolled my eyes at them.

"Thank you." She said pleased. My phone goes off.

"Oh! That's me." I take my phone out of my pocket.

"But we're sealed off – how did you get a signal?" Indra asked.

"He zapped it! Super-phone." I looked to the caller ID.

"Then we can phone for help! You must have contacts." Harriet said to the Doctor.

"Dead downstairs, yeah."

"It's Mickey." I told the Doctor.

"Oh, tell your stupid best mate we're busy." The Doctor said rudely.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all." I hand him my phone. Mickey had sent me a photo of the Slitheen in my kitchen.

[ _No, no, no, no, no, - not just alien, but like, proper alien. All stinking, and wet, and disgusting. And more to the point, it wanted to kill us_!] I rolled my eyes at him. [ _We could've died_!] I heard my mum shout in the background.

[Are they alright, though? Don't put them on, just tell me.] The Doctor snatches the phone from me.

[Is that Rickey? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer.]

[ _It's Mickey. And why should I_?]

[Mickey the Idiot – I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but eh – I need you.] I smiled.

[ _It says password._ ] The Doctor put my mobile into a speakerphone.

[Say again.]

[ _It's asking for the password_.]

[Buffalo – two Fs, one L.]

[ _See, they've known about aliens for years, they just kept us in the dark_.]

[Mickey, you were born in the dark.]

"Oh, leave him alone." I said to the Doctor.

[ _Thank you. Password again_.]

[Just repeat it, every time.]

"Big Ben – why did the Slitheen hit Big Ben?" the Doctor asked.

"You said to gather the experts – to kill them." Harriet said.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon, you don't need to crash land in the middle of London." He retorted.

"The Slitheen were hiding – and then they put the entire planet on red alert, why?" I asked thinking what they would do it for.

[ _Oh, listen to her_.] I heard Rose sneer.

[At least I'm trying, Rose!] I sneered back at her, she's been on my case ever since I came back.

[ _Well, I've got a question if you don't mind. Because since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from hell in my own living room, and my oldest daughter's disappeared off the face of the Earth._ ]

[Mum, I told you what happened.]

[ _I'm talking to him. 'Cause I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it. And maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this – is my daughter safe_?] The Doctor stared intently at my phone.

[I'm fine, mum.]

[ _Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that_?] The Doctor glances up at me, I looked back at him. We just stared at each other. [ _Well, what's the answer_?] I looked towards the phone.

[Mum, I've lived my whole life trying to support you and Rose, it's time that I need to learn how to live a little for myself now.] It went quiet after that.

[ _We're in_.] Let off the hook, the Doctor rushed around the table.

[Right then – on the left, there's a tab – an icon – little concentric circles – click on that.]

[ _What is it_?]

[The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal, now hush, let me work out what it's saying. It's some sort of message.]

[ _What's it say_?]

[Don't know – it's on a loop, keeps repeating.] Mickey's doorbell rings. [Hush!]

[ _That's not me_.]

[It's beaming out into space, who's it for?] The doorbell rings more persistently.

[ _They've found us_.]

[Mickey, I need that signal.]

[Never mind the damn signal, mum, Rose just get out! Get out! Get out!] I shouted to him.

[ _We can't, it's by the front door. Oh, my God. It's unmasking. It's gonna kill us_.]

"There's got to be some way of stopping them!" Harriet turned to the Doctor, "You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!"

"I'm trying!" he shouted. On the phone, we could hear the Slitheen smash the door in.

"That's my mother and sister."

"Right! If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from – which planet. So, judging by their face and shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!" the Doctor yelled to us.

"They're green." Indra said. I just stared at the phone.

"Yep, narrows it down."

"Uh, good sense of smell." He said. I sunk down in a seat at the table, ' _They're in trouble and I'm stuck here_.'

"Narrows it down."

"They can smell adrenaline." Indra pointed at the Doctor.

"Narrows it down."

"The compression technology." Harriet jumped in.

"Narrows it down."

"The spaceship in the Thames – you said slipsteam engine?" I felt something push at my walls in my head. I ignored it.

"Narrows it down."

[ _It's getting in!_ ]

"They hunt like it's a ritual." I finally spoke up.

"Narrows it down." The Doctor said.

"Wait a minute! Did you notice, when they fart – if you'll pardon the word – it doesn't just smell like a fart – if you'll pardon the word – it's something else, what is it, it's more like uh . . . um . . ." Harriet began, I looked at her as the thought hit.

"Bad breath!" I exclaimed.

"That's it!" Harriet said happily.

"Calcium decay! Now that narrows it down!" the Doctor said with glee.

[ _Too late_!] I stared at the phone in horror, covering my mouth with my hands.

"Calcium phosphate, organic calcium, living calcium, creatures made out of living calcium, what else, what else – hyphenated sodium – yes! That narrows it down to one planet! Raxacoricofallapatorius!" The Doctor shouted.

[ _Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter._ ]

[Get into the kitchen!]

"Calcium, recombined with compression field – ascetic acid. Vinegar!" the Doctor said.

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet exclaimed.

"Just like Hannibal." The Doctor nodded to her, [Mickey, have you got any vinegar?]

[ _How should I know_?]

[Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf.] The Doctor looks at me, "What?!"

[ _What do you need_?] Rose asked.

[Anything with vinegar!]

[ _Gherkins! Yeah! Pickled onions! Picked eggs_!] The Doctor makes a disgusted face.

"Your sister kissed this man?" the Doctor said to me.

"Oh, just leave it alone!" I hissed at him, shocking him. Having heard the bang, we all breathe a sigh of relief.

"Hannibal?" I asked Harriet.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar." She explained.

"Oh. Well, there you go then." We raised our glasses in toast, I took a sip before spitting it back in the glass. "Ugh!" I grimace sticking my tongue out. Everyone let out a few chuckles.

[ _Listen to this_.]

"Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within 45 seconds." The Doctor, Harriett, Indra and I crowded around the phone, listening to him.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Our technicians can – baffle – the alien probes. But not for long. We are facing extinction. Unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg the United Nations – pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes! A nuclear strike at the heart of the ship is our only chances of survival. Because . . . from this moment on . . . it is my solemn duty to inform you . . . planet Earth is at war."

"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it." The Doctor told us.

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked.

"They did last time." I said.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot – you get scared, you lash out." The Doctor began.

"They release the defense codes . . ." I looked at him, worried.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear." He finished with a nod.

"But why?" Indra asked. The Doctor open the metal shutters. The Slitheen are still standing outside the door.

"You get the codes, release the missiles. But not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth, they retaliate, fight back. World War Three – whole planet gets nuked." The Doctor explain to the Slitheen. Margaret, still in her skin suit, stands before the Doctor.

"And we can sit through it in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed. Just parked. They'll be two minutes away." She said.

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?" Harriet asked.

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space – an advert." I said in realization, I moved to stand beside the Doctor.

"Sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it. Piece by piece. Radioactive chucks capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel." I move closer to the Doctor in repulse at what she was saying. The Doctor put an arm around my shoulders.

"At the cost of 5 billion lives." He glared at her.

"Bargain." I went rigid at her slight as well did the Doctor.

"Then I give you the choice – leave this planet or I'll stop you." The Slitheen all burst out laughing.

"What? You? Trapped in your box?" The Doctor does not look remotely abashed. He stares her out.

"Yes. Me." Margaret laughs again, but nervously. The Doctor fixes her in his gaze and closes the shutters. The smirk fades from Margaret's face.

[ _Alright, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do_.] Mum asked him.

"If we ferment the porch, we could make ascetic acid." Harriet said.

[Mickey, any luck?] I asked.

[ _There's loads of emergency numbers – they're all on voicemail_ ] I looked towards the Doctor as he stands quietly with his arms folded, leaning against the wall away from us. He looked deep in thought. I bit my bottom lip and turn away, wrapping my leather jacket around me tightly.

"Voicemail dooms us all." Indra grumbles. My lips twitched a bit at that.

"If we could just get out of here." Harriet said.

"There's a way out." I turned to face him, incredulously.

"What?"

"There's always been a way out." The Doctor shrugged.

"Then why don't we use it?" I asked. The Doctor strides over to the table and leans over to speak into the phone.

[Because I can't guarantee your daughter will be safe.] He said to mum.

[ _Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare_.]

[That's the thing, if I don't dare, everyone dies.] I stared at him hard.

"Do it." The Doctor looks up at me.

"You don't even know what it is, you'd just let me?" he asked.

"Yes." I said simply. The Doctor just stares at me.

[ _Please, Doctor. Please! She's my daughter, she's just a kid_!]

[Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie, it's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will.]

"Then what're you waiting for?" I asked softly. The Doctor looks up at me again.

"I could save the world but lose you." We stare intensely into each other's eyes for a long moment until I grabbed one of his hands in mine and gave him a shy smile.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine." We both looked over towards Harriet.

[ _And who the hell are you_?]

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people I command you. Do it." She demanded. The Doctor looks back at me and grins. I jump onto the table.

"How do we get out?" I asked. The Doctor opens the briefcase containing the emergency protocols.

"We don't. We stay here." He opens the emergency protocols. The Doctor shuffles through the protocols then turns to address Mickey.

[Use the buffalo password, it overrides everything.]

[ _We're in. Here it is, uh . . . H.M.S. Taurean, Trafalgar Class Submarine, 10 miles off the coast of Plymouth_.]

[Right, we need to select a missile.]

[ _We can't go nuclear, we don't have the defense codes_.]

[We don't need it, all we need is an ordinary missile. What's the first category?]

[ _Sub Haffoon, UGMA4A_.]

[That's the one. Select. Ready for this?]

[ _Yeah_.]

[Mickey the Idiot. The world is in your hands. Fire.] Harriet taps the steel shutters.

"How solid are these?" she asked.

"Not solid enough, built for short range attack, nothing this big." The Doctor said.

"Alright. Now I'm making the decision. We're gonna ride this one out." I open the cupboard door. "It's like what they say about earthquakes, you can survive 'em by standing under a doorframe. Now this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me! Come on!" Harriet and Indra hurry to help me.

[ _It's on radar. Counter defense 556_.]

[Stop them intercepting it.]

[ _I'm doing it now_.]

[Good boy.]

[ _556 neutralized_.] The Doctor rips the mobile off speaker all bundle into the cupboard. We crouch in a corner, Indra and Harriet on the Doctor's right and me on his left.

"Nice knowing you all." We all hold hands. "Hannibal!" they brace themselves as I projected out a protego around us. We are all severely shaken around in the cupboard even with the protego charm, then it stops. The place is in ruins, smoking, when we emerge from the wreckage. Harriet looks around.

"Made in Britain." The Sergeant hurries over to us.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Harriet flashes her ID card at him.

"Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately, tell the ambassadors the crisis is over and they can step down. Go on, tell the news!"

"Yes, ma'am." He hurries away again.

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord! We haven't even got a Prime Minister!" Harriet exclaimed.

"Well, maybe you should have a go." The Doctor said.

"Me?" Harriet laughs. "I'm only a back-bencher."

"I'd vote for ya!" I said.

"Now, don't be silly." The Doctor and I grin. "Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Come on, Indra." They both climb over the rubble towards the crowd of people. The Doctor beams at me. "Hang on!" Harriet shouts over to the crowd. "The Earth is safe! Sergeant!" The Doctor and I walk together.

"I thought I knew the name." He watches her hurry over to the cameras and ambulances. "Harriet Jones – future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms – the architect of Britain's Golden Age."

"The crisis has passed! Ladies and Gentlemen – I have something to say to you all!" The Doctor and I watched her fondly from a distance, then we turn and walk away. I enter my flat, and was greeted with a huge hug from my relieved mum and sister. We all closed our eyes, happy to be together again. Rose and I were sitting on the couch on front of the TV, watching a repeat of Harriet Jones' speech.

"Mankind stands tall, proud . . ." Mum comes in.

"Harriet Jones. Who does she think she is? Look at her! Taking all the credit. Should be you on there." She said contemptuously, "My daughter saved the world!" Mum addresses the TV.

"I think the Doctor helped a bit . . ." I said to her.

"Oh, alright then. Him too. You should be given knighthoods." She sat down.

"That's not the way he does things. No fuss, he just . . . moves on. He's not that bad if you gave him a chance, mum." I looked towards her.

"He's good in a crisis, I'll give him that." She huffed.

"Oh! Now the world has changed, you're saying nice things about him." I tease.

"Well, I reckon I've got no choice! There's no getting rid of him since you're infatuated." I stared at her with wide eyes, my face flushing a bit.

"I'm not infatuated." I said, unconvincingly. Rose nudges me in the side.

"Yes, you are!" she teased. I glared at her.

"I am not!"

"Are too!

"Am not!"

"You so are, Jessa!" she changes her voice to sound like me, "Oh, Doctor!" she fakes swoons. I push her off the couch, making her land hard on the floor. "Ouch!"

"That's what you get, Blondie." I huffed at her. She just glares and sticks her tongue out at me, "Real mature, little sis, real mature." Mum just tutted at us.

"What does he eat?" she asked, I looked over to her confused.

"How do you mean?"

"I was gonna do shepherd's pie." Rose and I snigger. "All of us. A proper sit down. 'Cause . . . I'm ready to listen. I wanna learn about you and him and that life you lead. Only, I dunno, he's an alien. For all I know, he eats grass and safety pins and things."

"He'll have shepherd pie. You're gonna cook for him?" I asked, she rarely cooked for Rose and I growing up, I had to cook for us.

"What's wrong with that?" she asked.

"He's finally met his match." I said.

"You're not too old for a slap, you know." I giggled. Mum gets up and goes to the kitchen. "You can go and visit your gran tomorrow." My mobile rings. "You'd better learn some French. I told her you were in France. I said you were au-pairing." The caller ID on the screen reads 'TARDIS calling' complete with a little TARDIS icon. I answer.

[Hello?]

[ _Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go_.]

[You've got a phone?] I asked incredulously.

[ _You think I can travel through space and time and I haven't got a phone._ ] He laughs contemptuously. [ _Like I said, couple of hours . . . I've just got to send out this dispersal_.] I could hear him push a button. [ _There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up_.]

[My mother's cooking.] I moved into my room and shut the door behind me. I flop down on my bed and stare up at my star painted ceiling.

[ _Good! Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer_.] I laughed a bit at that.

[She's cooking tea. For us.]

[ _I don't do that_.]

[She wants to get to know you.]

[ _Tough! I've got better things to do_!]

[It's just tea.]

[ _Not to me it isn't_.] I closed my eyes tight for a moment. It was never just tea for me either.

[She's my mother.]

[ _Well, she's not mine_.]

[That's not fair!]

[ _Well, you can stay there if you want_!] He paused for a moment. [ _But right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the horse head nebula_.] I listen to him intently. [ _Fires are burning 10 million miles wide. I could fly the TARDIS right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out – hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere. Your choice._ ] he hangs up. I end the call slowly and press the phone to my lips, deep in thought.

JPTD

Jackie comes back into the living room with two cups of tea. Rose having got hers and left to her room.

"Jessa, I was thinking . . ." Jessa's seat was empty, so Jackie walks in the direction of Jessa's bedroom instead. "I've got that bottle of Amaretto from New Year's Eve, does he drink?" Jackie opens the door to Jessa's bedroom, revealing the TARDIS blue walls and star painted ceiling that's cover in sketches of pictures. Jessa was stuffing some checkered shirts and black leather jeans into a bag, Jackie watches her. "I was wondering whether he drinks or not."

"No, he doesn't drink, like me mum." She answered. She continues stuffing the clothes into the bag.

"Don't go, sweetheart." Jackie said quietly. Jessa stops for a moment and looks around at her. "Please don't go." Guiltily, Jessa starts to pack her art supplies.

JPTD

Its night time and Mickey was sitting reading a newspaper on a bin outside the TARDIS. The small boy who graffiti'd the TARDIS the previous day is now busy cleaning it off again. The Doctor pokes his head around the door.

"Good lad. Graffiti that again and I'll 'ave ya. Now, beat it." The little boy scurries off. The Doctor grins. Mickey glances after him. The Doctor walks over to Mickey.

"I just went down the shop. And I was thinking, you know, like the whole world's changed. Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is." He shows the Doctor the front page of the newspaper, headlined 'Alien Hoax?" the Doctor gives a small smile. "How could they do that? They saw it!"

"They're just not ready. You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face – nope! Can't see it! There's a scientific explanation for that. You're thick." The Doctor said. Mickey laughs.

"We're just idiots."

"Well, not all of you."

"Yeah?" Mickey asked surprised.

"Present for you, Mickey." He hands Mickey a disc. "That's a virus. Put it online, it'll destroy every mention of me. I'll cease to exist."

"What do you want to do that for?"

"Even though with what Jessamine said, you're right. I am dangerous. I don't want anybody following me." in the background, Jackie, Rose and Jessa emerge from the flats.

"How can you say that and then take her with you?" Mickey gestures at Jessa.

"You could look after her. Come with us." The Doctor said, though in his mind he didn't want to.

"I can't. This life of yours . . . it's just too much, I . . . I couldn't do it." As the girls approached, "Don't tell her I said that."

"I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends, I'll pass my test and if Jim comes round again, I'll say no. I really will." Jackie pleaded to Jessa.

"I'm not leaving 'cos of you. I'm travelling, that's all. And then I'll come back!" she said.

"But it's not safe."

"Mum . . . if you saw it out there . . . you'd never stay home." Jessa turns to the Doctor, taking her backpack off her shoulders.

"Got enough stuff?" he asked sarcastically.

"Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment." She throws the enormous bag into the Doctor's arms. "Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me. Haha." Jessa goes up to Mickey. Jackie looks at the Doctor up and down. "Come with us. There's plenty of room." Jessa said to Mickey. He gestures to the Doctor.

"No chance, he's ah, a liability, I'm not having him on board." The Doctor thought up.

"We'd be dead without him." Jessa argued.

"My decision is final." Jessa turns back to Mickey.

"Sorry." They hugged briefly. Mickey gives a small wave as she backs away.

"Good luck, then." He said. Jessa smiled sadly before turning to Rose and giving her a hug as well. Jackie rounds on the Doctor.

"You still can't promise me. What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and she's left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away – how long do I wait then?" the Doctor stands there hugging Jessa's backpack, not really having an answer, but Jessa comes to his rescue.

"Mum." Jackie spins around to face her. Jessa bit her lip, nervously. "Mum, it's time for you to let me go, just for a while. You know me, I'll be okay. It is a time machine, so I could go travelling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe and by the time I get back, ten seconds would have passed." Jessa puts her hands on Jackie's shoulders, smiling kindly. "So stop worrying. See you in ten seconds time. Hmm?" she hugs her. The Doctor steps into the TARDIS, Jessa follows him. Mickey and Rose give a small wave and Jessa shuts the door, leaving them alone outside. The TARDIS dematerializes. Jackie keeps her eyes on her watch as they stand in silence.

"Ten seconds." She and Rose walk back to the flats. Mickey settles himself back on top of the dustbin with the newspaper.

JPTD

I go and sit in the jump seat, watching the Doctor dig through the grates looking for something. I jump when he gives a victory shout once he found what he was looking for. He tosses everything back in and closes the grate, then walks over to me holding out a thick book. He looked at me expectantly, I reached out and took the book. I looked at the cover that said 'The Doctor's Journal'. I looked up at him with a confused look.

"What's this for, Doctor?" I asked. He shuffled his feet around for a bit.

"If I get to read about your past and then get to question you, then you should get to read about my past and get to question me. It only seemed fair." He mumbled looking away from me, but I could see the faint blush on his cheeks. I smiled gently down at the book.

"Thank you, Doctor. That's very sweet of you." I said, I got up from my seat and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before going to my new bedroom that the TARDIS made for me, it was an exact copy of my room at home. The Doctor watched me leave as he placed a hand on his cheek.

"It's no problem." he whispered in the empty control room before he plopped down in the empty seat and brought out the first book. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone, huh." he began to read.


	6. The Book Talk

The TARDIS showed me down the hallway that led towards my room. I could tell she was showing off for me, she'd not only lighted the way but she made signs that said "10 feet to your room" or "Turn left here". I was laughing the whole way there.

"You're absolutely crazy!" I giggled to her.

"You've met my Thief, would you expect anything less?" she answered back with a giggle of her own. I looked up at the ceiling, curious.

"Why do you call the Doctor "Thief"?" I could feel her smile at me.

"Because he stole me. He was younger when he did so." I nodded, that sounded like something the Doctor would do. A few seconds later, I was greeted with a dark brown door that had my name in gold calligraphy. Painted on each side of my name was a Big Bang lily, my favorite flower. I reached a hand out and lightly touched the painted flower, it felt so life-like. It was like there were two actual real flowers on my door. I placed a gentle hand on the glass door knob and turned it, while covering my eyes with my other hand. The TARDIS already told me that she made my room exactly like my room on earth but I still wanted to be surprised. I stepped into the room and shut the door behind me. "Oh! Uncover your eyes already, sweetheart!" I laughed at the TARDIS impatience.

"Alright, alright!" I slowly uncovered my eyes and open them. My hands flew up to my mouth in shock, not only was the room like the room that my dad painted for me for my third birthday but it also had things from my past life as Jessa Potter. The star painted ceiling was an actual real starry sky. The TARDIS blue paint was even more beautiful with the ceiling. The furnishing was the same dark brown as the door. The bed was a canopy like the ones at Hogwarts, its sheets and curtains were silver silk. I was given a little art studio in the right hand corner of the room. Leaning on the wardrobe was a replica of my Firebolt, hanging on the wall were both my Gryffindor school uniform and seeker uniform in glass cases. There were actual pictures from my life as Jessa Potter hanging all over the place and pictures of my life as Jessa Tyler. A few tears escaped my eyes. I put a hand on a wall and moved it in circles. "Thank you so much . . . ah, what should I call you?" I asked the TARDIS.

"My Thief calls me Sexy, sometimes." I snorted at that.

"I'm sure he does. How about Des?" I smiled as she squealed in excitement.

"I love it!" what I didn't know was that another person had named her that the first time they met each other. I started to unpack my things and put them in place. I hung my artwork everywhere and anywhere I could. There were drawling's of my past life, of nine very odd men, of crazy aliens, of a beautiful locket, and of a woman, all of which I would dream about. This woman hair and clothes changed to match the nine men outfits, unlike the man who completely changes. I frown as I look at her pictures, I could never get her face features right just her eye and hair colour. Once I was done unpacking, I flopped back onto my bed. I looked over to my left to stare at the Doctors journal. I reached over and picked it up, bringing it up over my face to read it. When I opened it, the pages were blank. I sat up quickly, I flipped through a few more pages they were all blank.

"It's blank." I looked up to the ceiling, "Des, his journal is blank." For a moment I thought I felt the TARDIS release a tear, but what would she be sad about? Suddenly gold particles appeared in front of me. It looked like a whole galaxy of gold, it floated gracefully and twirled in front of my eyes. It showed me life, death, laughter, and suffering. Images flashed in my head like long lost memories of my Doctor, at least not yet. I saw a boy, slight with a wiry grin. I saw him age and change into a tall man with small shoulders. ' _Oh, you clever boy_ ,' I thought. It was the Doctor, but not. In a whirlwind, the man threw open the doors and turned in awe.

"Aren't you beautiful!" his voice rimmed with elation. There were yells and he snapped his head back to the blue doors before slamming them shut. "Let's go see the universe, shall we?" he laughed and he pulled a silver lever down with all his might.

The scene changed and so did the man. The TARDIS ricocheted violently and sparks flew. He gritted his teeth and his eyes were wild with fear.

"Come on now!" he screamed. He then sprinted to the doors and when they open, a violent burst of orange and sick yellow light flashed. His yell was heart wrenching and he crumpled in the open doors, sobbing into his hands.

"Stop!" I screamed, tears rolling down my cheeks, "Please, no more." I sobbed. I felt like my whole world was torn apart the moment I saw that burst of light. I felt empty and sad, l felt like I lost something but I had no idea why I felt like that. I looked down and saw that the book was still open, quickly I shut it and put it in my nightstand drawer. I shut the drawer and moved over to my art desk, trying to get as far as possible from the book for now. I wiped my eyes dry and blew my nose in a hanky. After I had calmed down, I took a piece of sketching paper and started to draw the locket again. It was shaped like a star, gold in colour with a white diamond in its center. This time I drew it open, for the first time ever since I started drawling it. There were two butter colour lights streaming out from the open locket, with weird circles in them. There was an inscription on the outside of the locket on the back but this time in English.

"To Banu, the greatest adventure of my life. All my love, Theta." The locket belonged to the mysterious changing girl and whoever Theta was, loved her very much. It reminded me of my John. I sighed at the thought of him, was he doing okay? How was he dealing with my sudden death? How was Harry dealing with it? All these questions ran through my head but I did what I had to do and I wouldn't have change my decision if I was given the chance to. Of course I missed them, I mean John and Harry were my world so I had to protect them. I got another piece of sketch paper out and started to draw John hold Harry for the first time after he was born at St. Mungo's. I made sure to make his hair have just the right amount of floppiness, I lightly drew his nonexistent eyebrows or what he liked to call "delicate", and I made sure that his chin was big and pointy as if it could poke an eye out. I laughed to myself at that as I drew on his beloved bowtie. When it was finished I put it in the special folder I had just for John and Harry. There was a knock at the door and soon the Doctor's head poked in.

"Ello." He came into my room and sat on my bed, "Ooh, I like it."

"Thank you but Des did most of the work." I shrugged with a smile.

"Des?" he question with an unreadable look on his face.

"Oh, sorry. I gave the TARDIS an actual name that didn't start with S and end with Exy." I teased him, laughing when his face went red. "So, I'm guessing you finished reading the books then?"

"Yes, I 'ave." he nodded. I took a deep breath.

"So, question time then." I got up from my desk chair and sat on the bed, getting comfortable for a long talk. "Alright, what question do you have first?" I asked him as I lean back on the headrest. He sat back against one of the poles at the end of the bed.

"Was there really that much tension between you and this Malfoy character? Is that even his real name? Poor child." The Doctor shook his head.

"Why does everyone say that?" I asked.

"Well because it's a wee bit obvious." I rolled my eyes.

"Ugh. Yes, we had a thing but –"

"Oooohhh goodie! Extended edition!" the Doctor exclaimed, interrupting me. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ok, no. Nope, no more Harry Potter for you." I shook my head at him.

"But why? I made popcorn!" I burst out laughing as he took a bag of popcorn out of his jacket pockets.

"Let me guess, bigger on the inside pockets?" I asked with a bright smile. He winked at me. "I'm surprised you didn't ask about the Dursley's first." I told him. His expression went dark with anger.

"Those type of people are the reason why the world's best stop." I looked at him confused.

"Stop what?" I asked.

"Growing, trying, shining. Nothing makes me more sad." He looked away for a moment before looking back at me, "But you stayed there, evening though they hated you. Why?"

"I had to, really. The blood wards protected me from Tom till I turn seventeen but they didn't protect me from inside the house, only the outside." I explained, "My mother's love protected me from Tom but so did the horcrux, well it did until I destroyed it."

"I liked Dumbledore. I understand him." I smiled at that.

"I liked him too. He was like a crazy grandpa." I looked off, remembering all the good and happy memories I had with Albus. The Doctor moved off the bed and walked over to my pictures of John, Harry and I together.

"This is your husband and son?" he asked turning back to look at me.

"Yes." I got up and stood beside him. "He was twenty when we met, I was almost eighteen. It was at St. Mungo's after the war was over when we met. I was severely injured but was running on adrenaline. He was just a Healer-in-training but everyone was needed that day. He was so clumsy and embarrassed because of it, I found it cute and told him so. He turn such a bright red I thought I'd have to get him a Healer. After that we hit it'd off, we were friends for a year before we even began to date. We got married and nine months later our son was born." The Doctor stared at me from the corner of his eye.

"Do you know how they are now?" I blinked and wiped a corner of my eye with my left palm.

"No, I wonder everyday though. I know Mione is keeping an eye on them though so they may be completely bored, but safe." I chuckled. I smiled sadly at John's and mine wedding photo. We were smiling at each other so happily in love. "I hope he finds someone." I said softly. "Harry needs a mother."

"I'm sorry. Is that why you're called Harry here?" The Doctor brought out of one the books, I nodded.

"He's bound to have adventures of his own, but it makes me feel closer to him." I brushed my fingers across the spine.

"Did they know that you were going to do what you did?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I couldn't. John would have stopped me, I had to keep them safe."

"Who was after you?" my green eyes narrowed.

"Monsters." My voice was sharp like a blade.

"Monsters?" he asked confused.

"My people. They wanted the Earth to themselves and all magical beings. They were going to get rid of the Muggles, so I stopped them." I crossed my arms.

"By sacrificing yourself!" I turned to the Doctor in shock at his raised voice.

"Yes. It was for the greater good, Doctor. My sacrifice saved hundreds and hundreds of people in one day. By walking through the Veil, I was not only willingly sacrificing myself but my magic as well. Every magical being would become Muggle, if Magic did not deemed them worthy to use it for good." I glared at him.

"Magic is a person?"

"Of course it is. And for some reason Magic chose me as one of her favorite magical child and gave me powerful magic and whatnot, and that I was willing to give that all up just to save people I would never know made her proud of me. She came to Mione and me propositioning us with the ritual and condition." I sat down in my desk chair again. "We agreed of course, we just got done with one war and we didn't want another one, all that we asked was that she let our families keep their magic which she happily agreed to."

"Did you even think about all that you were giving up?" the Doctor leaned a hip on my desk.

"Of course, I did. I had a week to say goodbye to everything and everyone. I had to put on a front so that they wouldn't know that I was falling apart." My eyes started to water, "I hated it, Doctor. I couldn't mourn for all the what if's that I would miss with my son and husband because I was de-age back to a baby and forgot about my past life until the death of my father." The tears started to flow. The Doctor looked ashamed as he began to wipe my tears away.

"I'm sorry. What didn't you put into the books?" he asked softly.

"That I had a younger twin brother actually." He looked at me in shock.

"Well, go on!" I smiled slightly.

"His name was Jackson Ryan Potter, he was my best friend and the best little brother any girl could have. He was quite the flirt, Jack. Anything that was gorgeous and walked on two legs was up for grabs to him. He passed away at the end of our fifth year though." I sniffed.

"How?" he asked.

"When Sirius went through the Veil, Remus could only stop one of us and I was closest to him. That was the worst summer I ever had. The Dursley's celebrated that Jack, in their words "offed himself"." I shook my head, "I just hope that Magic was as kind to him as she was to me."

"That she sent him to another world?" I nodded.

"Jack used to call me Jessa-Ro—" I stopped in absolute shock. The face of Bo had instantly called me that even though I had never met him before but apparently we would in the future and we were important to each other. ' _Could I actually be right? Jack could be alive and living in this world_!' I started to smile at the thought.

"Hello? Earth to Jessamine?" the Doctor waved a hand in front of my face making me come back to reality.

"Sorry, he used to call me Jessa-Rose." I finished. I looked away for a moment, ' _I need to find him again_.' I look back over to the Doctor, ' _He said we'd meet soon and in his first form which has to be his human form, maybe the Doctor will let him travel with us_.' I noticed the Doctor was looking at me, expectantly. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

"I asked did you have any questions for me?" I froze. I had no idea what to do, I know I did finish his journal but I didn't want to ask about anything.

"No, I'm gonna wait until you just want to tell me. Letting someone in is a big deal, not a "I'll show you mine if you show me yours"." I answered him, I went to my nightstand and took the book out. I walk over to him and held it out to him, "I have more than a good idea that it'll explain everything to me anyway, but I want your trust first." He looked down at the journal then back at me before he pushed it back to me.

"I already do, and I want you to keep it." I look at him in shock, I was touched that he trusted me already after such short time of knowing each other.

"Are you sure?" I asked just in case. He smiled softly before leaning in and pressing a kiss close to my lips.

"Absolutely." He whispered, our eyes connected and it was like time had frozen. Suddenly there's an alarm sounding through the TARDIS, we jump away from each other in shock. I held the book tightly to my chest as the Doctor cleared his throat. "We better go check that out."

"Yeah." I answered, neither of us moved. ' _What the bloody hell just happen?! I still love John . . . right?_ ' I looked down at the floor, ' _Could I possible be falling for the Doctor_?' I looked back up at the man. Maybe it was time to let John go, I could never return home and even if I did John could have remarried by then. And I was happy right where I was, with the Doctor in the TARDIS getting ready to go on our next adventure. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go see what's going on." I put the book down on my bed and grab the Doctor's hand, dragging him out of my room back to the control room.

"Fantastic!" I giggled at the Doctor's childlike excitement. I let go of his hand, letting him get to work. I stood in the archway watching him. I smiled softly, it was most defiantly time for me to let go of John and move on. "Are you just gonna stand there all day or do you not want to learn how to drive the TARDIS?" he asked me. I smirked at him.

"You should know the answer to that." I moved over to him, listening and following his directions. Out of all the men I have met or seen, I'm glad that it was the Doctor that my heart had chosen for new a beginning.


	7. Dalek

[speech] – is the person calling

[ _speech_ ] – is the person receiving the call or talking on the opposite line

" _speech_ " – is aliens talking (some of them, like the Dalek in this one.)

"speech" – telepathy or telepathic (Like with the TARDIS and Jessa)

JPTD

The TARDIS materializes and the Doctor and I step out. I looked around in the dark room.

"So, what is it? What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Don't know, some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course . . ." We looked about ourselves.

"Where are we? And when are we?" I questioned.

"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground. The year is 2012." I stared at the Doctor.

"How would you know that we're half a mile underground?" the Doctor flicks a switch and lights flood the place. "Blimey! It's a great big museum!"

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. They must've spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust . . . that's the milometer from the Roswell Spaceship." He passes the exhibits as he names them as I follow after him.

"Creepy hobby." We noticed a Slitheen arm in one case. "That's a bit of Slitheen. That's a Slitheen's arm, it's been stuffed!" I pointed at it in shock, stating the obvious as well. The Doctor notices something else.

"Ah! Look at you!" inside the glass case he was approaching, is a head of some robot. The Doctor stares through the glass at it. I stand behind him.

"What is it?"

"An old friend of mine . . . well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old." I stare at the thing, feeling like I've seen it before somewhere.

"Is that where the signal's coming from?" I asked.

"Nah, its stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out." He stares intently through the glass. "Calling for help." He places the tip of his finger gently on the glass. Immediately, an alarm goes off and we're promptly surrounded by soldiers all pointing their guns at us. I rolled my eyes.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A." the Doctor flashes the soldiers a grin. A man sat at the desk while a boy Rose's age showed him some stuff.

"And this is the last . . . paid $800,000 for it." Goddard showed us in.

"What does it do?" he takes the thing from the boy.

"Well you see, the tubes on the side must be to channel something, I think maybe fuel . . ."

"I really wouldn't hold it like that." The Doctor spoke.

"Shut it." Goddard snapped at him, I raised an eyebrow. ' _What crawled up her arse and died_?'

"Really, though, that's wrong." The Doctor ignored her.

"Is it dangerous?" the boy asked.

"No. Just looks silly." The Doctor holds his hand out for the artefact. Security ready their guns. Van Statten holds up a hand to stop them and hands the object to the Doctor. "You just need to be . . ." he runs his fingers gently over the artefact and it plays a note, rather like a harmonica. "Delicate." Everyone looked suitably impressed. The Doctor beams around at them all whilst playing it.

"It's a musical instrument." The man said in interest.

"And it's a long way from home." the Doctor nods.

"Here, let me." the man stands and grabs it off the Doctor, who raises his eyebrows.

"I did say "delicate". Reacts to the smallest fingerprint." The man can't make it play at first and it makes a series of bleeping noises. "It needs precision." The man touches it more gently and it plays a few notes. The Doctor smiles. "Very good. Quite the expert."

"As are you." He tosses the instrument aside, where it lands somewhere on the floor. The Doctor and the boy's eyes follow it, slight alarmed. "Who exactly are you?" The Doctor looks back at the man with a new, slightly disdainful look in his eyes.

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?" he asked.

"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake." I tilted my head, ' _Pretty much sums this up_.'

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"The question is, how did you get in? 53 floors down. With your little cat burglar accomplice." He looks at me. "Quite a collector yourself, she's rather pretty." I glared at him.

"Keep looking at me like that, buddy and you won't have eyes at the end of this meeting." I threaten. The man eyes quickly went back to the Doctor.

"She's English too!" he turned to the boy, "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy, got you a girlfriend." I glared murderously at Van Statten.

"This is Mr. Henry Van Statten." The boy said.

"And who's he when he's at home?" I asked.

"Mr. Van Statten owns the Internet." I raised an eyebrow.

"No one owns the Internet." I scoffed.

"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Van Statten said.

"So you're expert on just about everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up." I looked at the Doctor in concern.

"And you claim greater knowledge?" he asked.

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am." The Doctor said cocky.

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?" I looked away from them, ' _We appeared there._ '

"You tell me."

"The cage contains my one living specimen."

"And what's that?" the Doctor asked.

"Like you don't know." Van Statten shot back.

"Show me." The Doctor dared.

"You wanna see it?" Van Statten dared him.

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone." I muttered.

"Goddard, inform the Cage. We're heading down." Goddard nods. "You, English. Look after the girl. Canoodle or spoon, or whatever it is you British do. And you, Doctor with no name . . ." Van Statten stands by the lift, "Come and see my pet." I crossed my arms and glared at Van Statten as the lift doors closed. I turn my glare to 'English'.

"You try to do anything and you'll wish that Van Statten took me to the Cage." I threaten him. He backed away with wide eyes. Adam shows me into his workshop. I wrinkle my nose at the mess.

"Sorry about the mess. Mr. Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing. So long as I deliver the goods . . ." I prod at a few things on the surface. "What do you think that is?" he tries to hand me some metal, but I shot him an unimpressed look.

"A lump of metal." I said bored, wondering what the Doctor was doing right now.

"Um, yeah. I think, well, I'm almost certain it's from the hull of a spacecraft." He sets the lump down carefully. "The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet, spacecrafts, aliens, visitors to Earth, they really exist."

"I had no idea." I deadpan.

"I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe that the whole universe is teeming with life." I rolled my eyes at his naiveness.

"I'm gob-smacked and you do what? Sit here and catalogue it?" I asked sarcastically.

"Best job in the world." I groaned. "Imagine if I could get out there. Travel amongst the stars and see it for real. I'd give anything. But I don't think it's ever gonna happen, not in our lifetimes." I looked over at him, feeling a little guilty that I was travelling the stars and he was stuck underground probably for the rest of his life.

"Oh, you never know . . . what about all those people who say they've been inside spaceships and things and talked to aliens?" I asked jokingly.

"I think they're nutters." He smiled at me.

"Yeah, me too." We both laugh, "So, how'd you end up here?" I asked trying to make nice small talk with him.

"Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit." He answered.

"Ah, right, you're a genius." I nodded.

"Sorry, but yeah . . . can't help it, I was born clever." He boasted. I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defense System, nearly caused World War Three."

"And that's funny?"

"Well you should've been there! Just to see them running about! Fantastic!" I chuckled a bit.

"You sound like the Doctor." I said.

"Are you and him . . .?" Adam asked.

"No, we're just friends." I said, ' _But maybe one day we could be something more_.' I smiled lightly at the thought.

"Good." Adam nods. I looked at him confused.

"Why's it good?" I asked.

"Just is." He shrugged, I nodded slowly at him.

"So, wouldn't you rather be downstairs? I mean, you've got these bits of metal and stuff, but Mr. Van Statten's got a living creature down there." I suggested.

"Yeah . . . yeah well I did ask but he keeps it to himself. Although, if you're a genius, it does take long to patch in on the comms system." I smiled at him.

"Let's have a look then." Adam turns to the computer and taps some keys and I observes over his shoulder.

"It doesn't do much, the alien. It's weird, it's kind of . . . useless, it's just like this . . . great big pepper pot." I looked at Adam weirdly at that. We access the screen that surveys the Cage. We watched a man approach the Dalek, if I remember correctly, and begin to torture it with one of the devices. The thing screams.

"It's being tortured! Where's the Doctor?" I asked alarmed.

"I don't know." I glared at the screen.

"Take me down there. Now." I stride from the room, ' _It may be a dangerous creature but it sure as hell didn't deserve that_.'Adam enters the lobby outside the Cage, followed by me.

"Hold it right there!" Adam flashes his ID.

"Level three access. Special clearance from Mr. Van Statten." We pass the man who was torturing the Dalek and enter the Cage. I stare at the Dalek. "Don't get too close . . ." I ignored him and walked slowly to the Dalek and peer into its eyepiece.

"Hello?" I asked, innocently concerned. "Are you in pain? My name's Jessa Tyler. What's your name?"

" _Yes_." I blinked.

"What?" the Dalek raises its eyepiece.

" _I am in pain. They tortured me. But still they fear me. Do you fear me_?" it said slowly and wearily.

"No." the Dalek lowers its eyepiece.

" _I am dying_."

"No, we can help." I told it.

" _I welcome death. But I am glad . . . that before I die . . . I met a human who was not afraid_." I was overwhelmed with sadness and pity even though I shouldn't be.

"Isn't there anything I can do?" I asked.

" _My race is dead. I shall die alone_." I had tears in my eyes. Something crashes behind me causing me to jump, making me trip. I caught myself on the Dalek, I quickly pulled back from it and glare at Adam for making the nosie. The place where my hand was suddenly burns bright orange. The Dalek's tone changes. " _Genetic material extrapolated, initiate cellular reconstruction_!" it bursts out of its chains with a new lease of life. Sparks fly from it. The man enters the room.

"What the hell have you done?" he approaches the Dalek. It points a sucker at him. "Whatcha gonna do? Sucker me to death?" the Dalek proceeds to do just that. It places the sucker over Simmons face and I hear his skull cracking as it sucks inwards. Adam and I rush outside.

"It's killing him! Do something!" I said to the security guard.

"Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill." He said over the intercom. Adam and I stand before the door with security, who are pointing their guns at the door. In no time at all, the door opens.

"Open fire!" they shoot at the Dalek. The Dalek advances upon them, the bullets having no affect at all. Bywater turns to the female guard.

"De Maggio, take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?"

"You, with me." she said to us. We follow her. We ran past another bunch of security guards, led by De Maggio.

"Civilians! Let them through!" we run out of sight. I was still running but getting tired. The list was getting longer and longer, swallowing me in pain, sucking away at my energy. I find myself at the foot of a flights of stairs. It could still get up them but it was our only choice. Adam runs up behind me.

"It's coming! Get up!" De Maggio said joining us. We run up the stairs and look over the banisters to watch the Dalek. It stops at the foot of the stairs. Adam breathes a small sigh of relief. It runs its eyepiece over the stairs.

"Great big alien death machine. Defeated by a flight of stairs." He said mockingly.

"Yeah, don't make this worst." I said. The Dalek's eyepiece rest on us. De Maggio still has her gun pointing at it.

"Now, listen to me. I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate, then I guarantee that Mr. Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong. But people have died, and that stops. Right now. The killing stops, have you got that?" the Dalek merely watches her, saying nothing. "I demand that you surrender, is that clear?" short pause.

" _El-ev-ate_." The Dalek levitates in the air and floats up the first steps of the stairs.

"Oh my God." I breathe. The Dalek proceeds up the stairs. Adam looks gob smacked.

"Adam, get her out of here."

"Come with us, you can't stop it!" I said urgently.

"Someone's got to try. Now get out!" she pushes us away. "Don't look back, just run!" Adam and I go up the rest of the stairs. The Dalek advances. De Maggio shoots at it without avail. Moments later, Adam and I hear the sound of the exterminator beam and De Maggio's scream. We run down the corridor terrified. Adam and I run into view, right in the middle of the open area.

"Hold your fire!" we stop. "You two, get the hell out of there!" we make it outside the door the moment the Dalek slowly comes into view. We stop for a moment to watch it. The Dalek also stops, and it focuses on us. Adam grabs my hand and pulls me away, but I stop again.

"It was looking at me."

"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us!" I pull my hand away.

"I know! But it was looking right at me."

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing, it's looking all around!" Adam said impatiently. I shake my head.

"I don't know . . . it's like there's something inside looking at me, like . . . like it knows me." the Dalek makes its way towards the door. Adam was running up a flight of stairs in the stairwell, followed by me. My mobile rings, I take it out of my pocket and look at the caller ID, before answering it.

[This isn't the best time.] I panted into the phone.

[ _Where are you_?]

[Level 49.] I grimaced in pain for a moment.

[ _You've got to keep moving, the vault's being sealed off, bulkhead level 46_.]

[Oh, God. Can't you stop them?] Was my breathless reply.

[ _I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for God's sake, run_.] Adam and I run up the stairs, I'm starting to fall behind. The Dalek in rounds a corner on floor 46, I'm a few seconds behind. I'm panting for breath.

[We're nearly there, give us two seconds.] I paused in the middle, gulping for air. The bulkhead begins to lower. Adam's nearly there but I'm way to behind to make it.

"Come on!" he shouts back to me. The bulkhead is only about a foot away from the ground when Adam manages to roll underneath it. I stop in the middle of the hallway, falling to the ground. I suck in deep breath of air, tears running down from my eyes from all the pain I'm in. I stood up after a while and walked to the bulkhead door.

[ _Jessamine, where are you? Jessamine, did you make_?] I lean against the wrong side of the bulkhead, taking a few steadying breaths before answering.

[Sorry, I was a bit slow.] I glance behind me to see the Dalek round the corner. I turn away. [See you then, Doctor.] I had no idea if I'll make it, if the thing shot me. I'm so weak that even standing hurts. Too weak to use magic to help me out of this as well. [It wasn't your fault. Remember that, okay? It wasn't your fault. And do you know what?] My voice was trembling at the fact that I may never get to see the Doctor again not at my upcoming death. [I wouldn't have missed it for the world.] I choked up. I turn slowly around to face the Dalek as it approaches me.

" _Exterminate_!" I had my eyes closed, ready for the Dalek to kill me. The Dalek approaches but does nothing. I open my eyes cautiously and look round.

"Go on then, kill me." there silence. "Why are you doing this?" I asked angrily.

" _I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose_."

"They're all dead because of you!" I yelled at it.

" _They are dead because of us_." I was shaken into a short silence.

"And now what? What're you waiting for?" I asked.

" _I feel your fear_."

"What do you expect?!" I exclaimed.

" _Daleks do not fear. Must not fear_." It shoots its death ray wildly at the wall either side of me. " _You gave me life. What else have you given me? I am contaminated!_ " it said slightly hysterical, even scared. The Dalek turns to a screen with me in front of it. " _Open the bulkhead or Jessa Tyler dies_." I watched the Doctor walk closer to the screen.

"You're alive!" He exclaimed, happily.

"Can't get rid of me." I told him.

"I thought you were dead." I sent him a small smile.

"Never." He smiled back at me.

" _Open the bulkhead_!"

"Don't do it." I replied.

" _What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love_?" I turned to the Dalek, shocked. ' _The Doctor loves me_?'  The bulkhead opens and the Dalek and I slowly go through it. The Dalek and I are in the lift going up to Van Statten's office. The atmosphere is very tense. I watch the Dalek's exterminator arm twitch slightly.

"I'm begging you, don't kill them, you didn't kill me." the Dalek spins its eyepiece around to look at me so fast that I have to duck out of the way to avoid having my eye poked out.

" _But why not? Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I_?" the lift door opens and Van Statten is standing there, waiting.

"Don't move! Don't do anything, it's beginning to question itself." The Dalek advances on Van Statten.

" _Van Statten. You tortured me. Why_?"

"I wanted to help you, I just – I don't know, I – I was just trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you – I wanted you better, I'm sorry." He backed away, terrified. The Dalek still advances, backing him against the wall. "I'm so sorry! I swear! I just wanted you to talk!" his voice rising shrilly.

" _Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate_!" Van Statten winces. " _Exterminate!_ " I rushed over.

"Don't do it! Don't kill him!" the Dalek spins to face me. I look right into its eyepiece. "You don't have to do this anymore. There must be something else. Not just killing, what else is there? What d'you want?" the Dalek turns back to Van Statten. Then back to me.

" _I want freedom_." The Dalek and I are on floor 01 in the base. The Dalek fires its death ray at the ceiling, making a hole through which the sunlight floods, shining on the Dalek.

"You're out. You made it." I smile, "Never thought I'd see the sunlight again."

" _How . . . does . . . it . . . feel_?" I was astonished as the Dalek opens up its casing to reveal a mutated creature inside. It stretches its feelers out to the sunlight. I gaze at it until a voice behind me makes me jump.

"Get out of the way." he was holding a gun, pointing it at the Dalek. I stare at him in shock. I don't move. "Jessamine, get out of the way, now!"

"No! 'Cos I won't let you do this!" I yelled to him.

"That thing killed hundreds of people."

"It's not the one pointing the gun at me." I said coldly.

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left."

"Look at it." I stand aside and gestured to the Dalek who feeling the sunlight.

"What's it doing?" he asked confused.

"It's the sunlight, that's all it wants!"

"But it can't . . ." his voice was shaking.

"It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill me, it's changing. What about you, Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?" the Doctor finally lowers the gun. He looks completely lost.

"I couldn't . . ." he was close to tears. I stare at him. "I wasn't . . ." he looks at the Dalek, then back to me. "Oh, Jessamine. They're all dead."

" _Why do we survive_?"

"I don't know." The Doctor told it.

" _I am the last of the Daleks_." Its speech was an effort, now.

"You're not even that. Jessamine did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. You're mutating." I looked at the Doctor stunned.

"Into what?"

"Something new. I'm sorry."

"Isn't that better?" I asked.

"Not for a Dalek." He answered.

" _I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness . . . Jessa . . . give me orders! Order me to die_." It closes its eye. The Doctor looks from the Dalek to me.

"I can't do that." I shook my head.

" _This is not life. This is sickness_." My face contorts with pity and disgust. " _I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!_ "

"Do it." I said after a moment.

" _Are you frightened, Jessa Tyler?_ "

"Yeah." I nodded.

" _So am I_." it said feebly, " _Exterminate_." I stumble backwards, and run to the Doctor's side as the Dalek replaces it armour. It levitates into the air and the golden knobs detach themselves to surround the Dalek in a perfect sphere. The Dalek glows briefly, and then explodes inside the sphere, vanishing into nothing. The Doctor stares at the place where it disappeared, stunned. The Doctor and I stand by the TARDIS. The Doctor has his hand on it, looking up at it pensively.

"Little piece of home. Better than nothing." He said sadly. I watched him.

"At least you have something, right?" he turns to me, I look up at Des, "I'll I have is memories. So, is that the end of it? The Time War?" I give him a fake smile.

"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that."

"The Dalek survived, maybe some of your people did too." I tried to console him.

"I'd know. In here." He gestures to his head. "Feels like there's no one."

"Well then, good thing I'm not going anywhere." I smiled for real this time.

"Yeah." He smiles back. Adam jogs up to us.

"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared . . . they're closing down the base." The Doctor faces him with his arms folded. "Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement! Like it never existed."

"About time." I grumbled.

"I'll have to go back home." he said.

"Better hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at 1500 hours." The Doctor said sarcastically.

"Adam was saying that all his life he's wanted to see the stars . . ." I hinted to be nice.

"Tell him to go and stand outside, then." I smirked at that.

"He's all on his own, Doctor. And he did help." I said.

"He left you down there!" he exclaimed. I stare at him angrily.

"So did you!"

"What're you talking about? We've got leave!" Adam said again.

"Jessamine, he's a bit pretty." His eyes on me, I looked at him confused. I turn and look at Adam for a moment. I shrugged, looking back at the Doctor.

"He's alright looking, I guess. Not my type though, I like mature men not little boys." The Doctor raises his eyebrows at that with a light blush on his cheeks and turn to the TARDIS.

"On your own head."

"What're you doing? She said 'cement'. She wasn't joking, we're going get sealed in." Both the Doctor and I disappear into the TARDIS, leaving Adam standing outside. "Doctor?" he sounded genuinely concerned for our sanity. "What're you doing standing inside a box?" he pauses, "Jessa?" he peers through the doors and steps inside. The engines start up and the TARDIS dematerializes.


	8. The Long Game

When the TARDIS landed and stopped whirring, the Doctor and I step out.

"So, it's 200,000, it's a spaceship . . . no wait a minute, space station, and uh . . . go and try that gate over there. Off you go!" I stare at the Doctor in confusion. He leans against the TARDIS, giving me a waiting look.

"Why are you tell me this?" I asked him. He shrugs.

"It's your turn to do the talking." I smiled at him.

"'Kay." The Doctor grins and raises his eyebrows. I giggle as I open the TARDIS door and call inside. "Adam? Out you come." Adam steps out with his mouth hanging open.

"On my God." He said awestruck.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." I told him.

"Where are we?" he asked. I lifted my head up proudly.

"Good question. It's the year 200,000." Adam nods and mumbles, still boggling. "And we are on a space station." The Doctor watches me, smiling. I send him a bright smile back. "It's also really hot in here, they could turn that down. Let's try that gate." I open the gate with the Doctor and Adam following me into the room. We enter into the room that overlooks the Earth. "Here we go. And this is . . ." I paused as I look down upon the Earth once again. Adam had taken a hold on to the railings for support as he makes his way to my side. ". . . I'll let the Doctor describe it." I whispered a little awestruck myself.

"The fourth great and bountiful human empire. And there it is. Planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons – population 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain, stretching across a million species – with mankind right in the middle." Adam faints with a girlish sigh. Neither the Doctor nor I brother to even turn around. "Can we ditch him?"

"No, Doctor."

"Come on, Adam. Open your mind." The Doctor was walking in between Adam and me with his arms around our shoulders. "You're gonna like this fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent – culture, art, politics. This era his got fine food, good manners –"

"Out of the way!" a man said rudely to us.

"Spoke to soon, Doctor." I told him with a light smirk. The room suddenly springs into life around us. Food stools are set up around us and people bustle past us to queue up.

"One at a time. . ." the stall keepers take orders, and the place becomes rather busy. The Doctor looks bemused. "Oi! You mate! Stop pushing. Get back. I **SAID** , back." I examine the fast food behind the cases, wrinkling my nose in disgusted before turning to the Doctor.

"Fine cuisine?" I asked him.

"My watch must be wrong." He said wrong-footed and checked it. "No, its fine . . . weird."

"That's what comes of showing off. Your history's not as good as you thought it was." I smiled at him.

"My history's perfect." He whined.

"Well, obviously not . . ." I said teasingly.

"They're all human. What about the millions of planets? The millions of species? Where are they?" Adam asked us.

"Good question. Actually, that **IS** a good question." The Doctor jovially puts an arm around Adam's shoulder. "Adam, me' old mate, you must be starving."

"No, I'm just a bit time sick." He stuttered out.

"Nah, you just need a bit of grub." He looked to the chef. "Oi, mate – how much is a cronk burger?" the Doctor asked.

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now, join the queue." He told us.

"Money. We need money." The Doctor goes to a cash point with his sonic screwdriver ready. "Have to use a cash point."

"We always need money, Doctor. You should look into getting a job." I called to him, as Adam and I follow behind him. The Doctor turns back to me with a smirk.

"Me, a job? Never." I chuckled at that shaking my head. The Doctor holds his sonic screwdriver to the cash point and what must be some futuristic version of a credit card falls out. It looks like a metal strip. The Doctor hands it to Adam.

"There you go – pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets." The Doctor begins to walk away.

"How does it work?" Adam asked examining it bemusedly. The Doctor turned back to us.

"Go and find out! Stop nagging me! The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers." I laugh. Adam just stares at him, brow furrowed. ". . . or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go on, do it!" he shoos him away. Adam turns and walks into the crowd. I stood there looking at the Doctor.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked him, crossing my arms. He scratches his neck.

"You brought him, you watch him." I frowned at him.

"Why do I get the boring jobs while you go out to investigate and have fun?" He shrugged and crossed his arms.

"I wasn't the one who wanted the kid to come, you did." I huffed in frustration.

"I was trying to make up for being a bitch to him, and what is it with you and Adam? You keep on bashing on him when he's not around."

"I do not. If he wanted to see the stars so much, he should've of join NASA." I pointed at him.

"That! That's what I'm talking about, Doctor. You're acting like your jealous or something." He looks away from me, I sighed. "Fine, I'll go babysit the kid." I walked away into the crowd to find Adam.

"All staff are reminded that the canteen area now has self-cleaning tables. Thank you!" Adam was sitting at a crowded table when I found him. I took the credit stick and got us something to drink. After I got the drink, I went back over to him and offered him the paper cup.

"Try this. It's called 'zaffic' it's nice. It's like a, um, slush puppy." I told him.

"What flavour?" he asked. I took a sip and gagged.

"Um." I put it down on the table. "Sort of, beef?"

"Oh, my God . . .!" I laughed. Adam shakes his head. "It's like everything's gone. Home – family – everything." I looked at him in concern. I slowly take my phone out of my pocket. I stared at it for a moment before offering it to him.

"This helps . . . the Doctor gave it a bit of a top-up. Who's back home, your mum and dad?" I asked him.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Phone 'em up." He took the phone, I was getting one of those ill feelings but I pushed them away.

"But that's one hundred and ninety-eight thousand years ago." I rolled my eyes.

"Honestly, just try it."

"Is there a code for planet Earth?"

"Just dial!" he does so. He puts it on speaker, the phone rings and no one answers. The answering machine comes on.

[ _I'm sorry we're not in._ ]

"It's on!" Adam exclaimed.

[ _Please leave a message. Thanks, bye!_ ] The tone sounds.

[Hi. It's . . . it's me. I've sort of gone . . . travelling. I met these people . . . and we've gone travelling together. But, um . . . I'm fine . . . and I'll call you later. Love you. Bye.] He hangs the phone up with a gleeful look. "That is just –" an alarm sounds. Everyone starts to abandon the canteen area, but we just sat there not having a clue on what to do. The Doctor was revealed through the crowd a short distance away.

"Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!" beaming, I immediately get up and join him. Adam slowly catching up to us. The five of us are now joined by several others in a room, where their work takes place. There's a chair in the middle of a raised octagonal platform in the middle of the room, around which the other people sat cross legged. In front of them were pads on which to place their hands. We stand leaning against some railings at the side of the room. Cathica is in the middle of the octagonal platform. She addresses the room.

"Now. Everybody behave. We have a management inspection." She turns to the Doctor. "How do you want it? By the book?"

"Oh, right from scratch, thanks." She turns away. The Doctor and I smirk at each other.

"Ok, so – ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot – my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy. That's Cathica with a 'C', in case you want to write to Floor 500 praising me, and please . . . do . . ." The Doctor grins, giving a non-committal jerk of his head. "Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and be non-biased. That's company policy." She turned to smile at the Doctor. The Doctor nods.

"Actually . . . it's the law." Suki smiles at him also.

"Yes, thank you, Suki. Okay, keep it calm . . . don't show off for the guest . . . here we go." She lies down in the chair. "And . . . engage safety . . ." the staff hold their hands out over their pads. Each of the eight walls light up as they do. The Doctor, Adam, and I look around. Cathica clicks her fingers, and a door in her forehead opens, revealing her brain. I clutch on to the Doctor's arm, covering my mouth with my other hand in disgust, and Adam leans forward slight trying to get a better look. The staff place their hands on the pads and close their eyes. "And 3 . . . 2 . . . and spike." From the contraption over the chair, a blue light spikes down into her brain, flowing into her.

"Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. Her brain IS the computer." The Doctor said. I looked to him.

"Wouldn't her head explode from all this?" I asked him. He begins to walk around the room, circling the octagonal platform, I follow.

"The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets." He told me.

"So, what about all these people round the edge?" I looked at their hand pads.

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place." The Doctor completes his circuit around the room and leans against the railing again, next to Adam. "Now, that's what I call power." I looked over to Adam and saw he was looking a bit peaky.

"Do you want to get out?" I asked him.

"No . . . no. This technology, it's . . . it's amazing." He muttered.

"This technology's wrong." The Doctor said, we looked at him.

"Trouble?" I questioned. He catches my eyes.

"Oh, yeah." He smiles at me. I smile in a satisfied sort of way. There's a slight shuddering sound, and Suki twitches. Suki gasps and lifts her hands off the pad as though she had just received an electric shock. The other members of the staff are forced to lift their own hands too, and the lights in the walls turn off. The compressed information stops streaming into Cathica and the door in her head closes. Suki rubs her hands, breathing heavily.

"Come off it, Suki, I wasn't even halfway, what was that for?" Cathica asked annoyed.

"Sorry, must've been a glitch . . ." Cathica stands a loudspeaker sounds over the room and a projection springs to life on the wall.

"Promotion."

"This is it. Come on. God, make it me. Come on, say my name." Cathica prayed just a little too hard. The Doctor, Adam, and I looked at her with mild concern. "Say my name, say my name . . ." she pleaded, eyes screwed shut.

"Promotion for . . . Suki Macrae Cantrell." The words flash on the projection. Suki's mouth dropped open. Cathica looked gutted. "Please proceed to Floor 500." Suki stands up and stares at the projection as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"I don't believe it . . . Floor 500 . . ." she said awestruck.

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you!" Cathica demanded.

"I don't know, I just applied on the off-chance . . . and they've said yes!" Suki said in excitement.

"That's so not fair, I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years!" Cathica whined.

"What's so important about Floor 500?" I asked the Doctor.

"The walls are made of gold." I wrinkled my nose at that, ' _That sounds like absolute BS_.' We left the 'news room' and went to the lift that would take Suki to Floor 500.

"Cathica, I'm gonna miss you! Floor 500 . . ." she hugged Cathica before turning to the Doctor. "Thank you!"

"I didn't do anything!" he chuckled.

"Well, you're my lucky charm!" she told him happily.

"All right! I'll hug anyone!" Suki giggles as he hugs her. Catch looks stubbornly anywhere but at Suki. ' _Well, she's just filled with happiness_.' I go over to Adam who took a sit a short distance away. He looked a bit sick and green in the face.

"Come on, it's not that bad." I said to him. He looked up at me.

"What, with the . . . the head thing?" he circled his finger around the middle of his forehead.

"It's closed now." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah but . . . it's everything. It freaks me out. And I just need to . . . if I could just . . ." he struggles to find the words, ". . . cool down. Sort of, acclimatize." I crossed my arms, eyebrow still raised. "Maybe . . . I could just go and sit on the observation deck? Would that be all right?" I furrowed my eyebrows not really sure with the idea. "Soak it in, you know, pretend I'm a citizen of the year 200,000."

"Maybe I should come with you." I said a bit worried. Adam stood up and shook his head.

"No, no, you stick with the Doctor." I paused and nodded slowly. "You'd rather be with him." That left an awkward silence between us. "It's gonna take a better man than me to get between you two. Anyway – I'll be on the deck." He walked off, I shook off the creepy feeling he left me in at stating his crush on me. I walked back over to the Doctor to say goodbye to Suki.

"Oh, my God, I've got to go, I can't keep them waiting." She picks up her bag and rushes to the lift. "I'm sorry!" the lift pings open and she steps inside. "Say goodbye to Steve for me." the Doctor and I smile. The lift doors began to close. "Bye!" the Doctor and I wave cheerily. Cathica looks away sourly.

"Good riddance." We look towards her, confused.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs." Suddenly Suki's name shows up on my list, I gasp softly.

"We won't. Once you go to Floor 500 you never come back." The Doctor looked at the closed lift doors, his brow furrowed. The Doctor and I followed Cathica through the canteen area.

"Have you ever been up there?" the Doctor asked her.

"No. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 expect for the chosen few." She told us. We followed Cathica back into the spike room.

"Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance, can't you give it a rest?" she asked us.

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" the Doctor asked as he settles himself comfortably in the chair on the platform. I lean on the back of it.

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived, that's medical, that's when I got my head done, and then I – I came straight here. Satellite Five – you work, eat, and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all." She eyed us. "You're not management, are you?"

"At last! She's clever!" I smirked at the Doctor's sarcastic excitement.

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything." She said after a pause.

"Don't you even asked?" I questioned her curiously.

"Well, why **WOULD** I?"

"You're a journalist! Why's all the crew human?" the Doctor asked.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"There's no aliens on board. Why?"

"I don't know – no real reason, they're not banned or anything." She answered. The Doctor looks around the room theatrically.

"Then where are they?"

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what, with all the threats." Cathica said stumped.

"What threats?" I asked.

"I don't know . . . all of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away . . ." she looked and sounded lost. We watched her intently. "Oh, and the government on Traffic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see . . . just . . . lots of little reasons, that's all." I stared at her in shocked amazement.

"Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."

"I can see better. This society's the wrong shape. Even the technology." Cathica clenched her hands.

"It's cutting edge!" she grounded out.

"It's backward! There's a great big door in your head! You should've chucked this out years ago." I placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"What so you think is going on?" I asked him.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful human empire's stunted. Something's holding it back." I bit my lip as we stared at one another.

"And how would you know?" Cathica asked. We turned to look at her.

"Trust me. Humanity's been set back about 90 years – when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?" he asked.

"91 years ago . . ." the Doctor nods. Cathica looks away thoughtfully. The Doctor makes her take us to the corridor. She looks around anxiously. "We're **SO** gonna get in trouble." I rolled my eyes at her. ' **We will if you don't stop your freak out**.' The Doctor was scanning the side of a door with his sonic screwdriver, I stood behind him. Cathica comes over to us. "You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, you're gonna get told off."

"Jessa, tell her to button it." I raised an eyebrow at the Doctor's back.

"You can't just vandalize the place, someone's gonna notice!" she whispered urgently. The Doctor ignores her and wrenches the door open. Cathica was pacing while the Doctor was still messing around with the mainframe. "This is nothing to do with me, I'm going back to work." She begins to walk away.

"Go on then! See ya!" the Doctor shouted to her. She stops.

"I can't just leave you, can I!" she huffed.

"If you wanna be useful, get 'em to turn the heating down. It's boiling. What's wrong with this place, can't they do something about it?" I asked her as I took my leather jacket off, wrapping it around my waist.

"I don't know, we keep asking – something to do with the turbine."

"Something to do with the turbine." The Doctor said mockingly.

"Well, I don't know!" she crossed her arms defensibly.

"Exactly! I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Jessa – look at Jessa." I turn round, smiling. "Jessa is asking the right kind of questions."

"Thank you." I nodded a bit smug.

"Why is it so hot?" he asked her.

"One minutes you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!" she looked at us like we're crazy, I shrugged we got that look almost all the time.

"Well, never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important." He accidentally snaps a bunch of wires. Cathica looks away, exasperated. The Doctor has successfully managed to hack into the mainframe. He turns the screen to Cathica. "Here we go – Satellite Five. Pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout." He moves to stand behind her so she can see. Cathica examines the screen.

"This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange . . . and you're looking at pipes?" she turns to him, bemused.

"But there's something wrong." She turns back to the screen.

"I suppose . . ."

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out . . . channeling massive amounts of heat DOWN." I said as I studied the screen. Cathica looked upwards.

"All the way from the top." The Doctor said.

"Floor 500." I spoke softly, he turned to me with a smirk.

"Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat." I smiled.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?" I taunted him.

"You can't, you need a key." Cathica repeated.

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here." He gestures the screen, taps a few keys. "Here we go – override 215.9."

"How come it's giving you the code?" she asked. The Doctor looks up at a security camera.

"Someone up there likes me." the lift doors open on Floor 139, and the Doctor and I step into it. Cathica stops outside.

"Come on, come with us!" I said.

"No way!" I shook my head at her.

"Bye!" the Doctor waved sarcastically at her.

"Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me!" she stalks off.

"That's her gone. Adam's given up. Looks like it's just you and me." the Doctor said to me as we watch her walk away.

"Yeah." I nodded, a smile slowly growing on my lips.

"Good." He nodded as well.

"Yep." We grin at each other. The Doctor slots a card into the controls, and grabs my hand as the door close. The lift reached Floor 500. The door open and we step out.

"The walls are not made of gold. You should go back downstairs." The Doctor said as he look around.

"Tough." I stride onto Floor 500. The Doctor watches me for a moment before following me. We find ourselves in a room with a man watching the screens.

"I started without you. This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information withine the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but **YOU** two . . . you don't exist!" the Doctor and I look right back at him. He laughs. "Not a trace! No birth – no job – not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?" I spot Suki sitting at one of the screens and grimaced.

"Suki." I said, walking over to her. I stared at her before turning to the man, glaring at him.

"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going. Like puppets." The Doctor said already knowing that I knew she was dead.

"Ohhhh! You're full of information! But it's only fair we get information back, because apparently, you're no-one." He laughs. The Doctor nods. "It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, 'cause we're off. Nice to meet you." He turns to me, "Come on." Suddenly two of the Drones restrain him. I try to move to him but Suki's corpse grabs my arm.

"Tell me who you are!" the man yelled persistently.

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?" the Doctor retorted.

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise." He smiled.

"And who's that?" the Doctor asked.

"It may interest you to know that this is **NOT** the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live." A creature speaks, the tone sounds angry. "Yeah – sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client." He snaps his fingers and points upwards, pointing at a creature in the ceiling. It's a huge, slobbering lump of an alien with a mouth full of sharp, snapping teeth like a shark.

"What is that?" I asked actually nervous.

"You mean, that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" The Doctor asked.

"That 'thing' – as you put it – is in charge of the human race." The Doctor looks at the man in alarm. "For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior – your master – and humanities guiding light – the might Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe." The Jagrafess roars. "I call him Max." I stared at the insane man as the Doctor smiles sarcastically and nods. They restrained us with manacles.

"If we create a climate of fear . . . then it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy . . . invent an enemy . . . change a vote . . ."

"So everyone on Earth are slaves." I said.

"Well, now. There's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?" I glared at him.

"Yes." The Doctor deadpan. The Editor turned his attention to him.

"Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? 'Yes'?"

"Yes." The Editor laughs.

"You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles – you'll find out how much fun I am." The Doctor threaten.

"Oh, he's tough, isn't he. But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit." I shook my head.

"You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must've noticed." I said.

"From time to time, someone, yes. But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain . . . I can see the smallest doubt – and crush it." He grins. "And then they just carry on, living their life. Strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual. When of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

"What about you? You're not a Jagrafess. You're human." I asked him.

"Yeah, well simply being human doesn't pay very well."

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own." I said.

"No! I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um . . . install himself."

"No wonder, a creature that size." The Doctor said. "What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pumpe it out of the creature, channel it downstairs – Jagrafess stays cool – stays alive. Satellite Five's one great big life support system." The Doctor stated.

"But **THAT'S** why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unkown." He gives a small laugh, then clicks his fingers. The manacles sends electric shock through us. I gasped lightly in slight pain. "Who are you?" the Doctor grimaces in pain, he indicated to me.

"Leave her alone. I'm the Doctor, she's Jessa Tyler, we're nothing, we're just wandering." The Doctor told the Editor.

"Tell me who you are!" he yelled.

"I just said!" the Doctor shouted back.

"Yeah, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly –" he stops. The Doctor looks at him questioningly. The Editor smiles, I shudder at the creepy feeling it gave me. "Time Lord." We looked at him in fearful shock.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, yes! The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine. Oh, with his little human girl from long ago . . ." he touches my face gently, I jerk my head away roughly.

"You don't know what you're talking about." I spat at him.

"Time travel." He said smiple.

"Someone's been telling you lies." The Doctor said to him.

"Young master Adam Mitchell?" the Editor snaps his fingers, and a projection of Adam, writhing with pain and shouting, the compressed information still flowing into him, appears in the air.

"Oh, my God – his head!" I whispered in horror.

"What the hell's he done? What the hell's he gone and done?" the Doctor asked, looking at the projection in absolute anger. "They're reading his mine. He's telling them everything!"

"And through him, I know about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S – TARDIS." I start to pull lightly on my manacles.

"You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first." The Doctor growled.

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key." My key slowly starts to float from my jacket pocket and dangles in front of our faces. I pull harder at my manacles.

"Leave her alone!" I shouted at him.

"Today, **WE** are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing." The Editor crackled.

"And no-one's gonna stop you. Because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold." The Doctor sneered. An alarm starts going off.

"What's happening?" The Editor questioned. "Someone's disengaged the safety." He clicks his fingers – the projections shows Cathica, the compressed information flowing into her brain. "Who's that?!"

"It's Cathica!" I said with glee.

"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows!" the Doctor said with the same amount of glee.

"Terminate her access." The Editor said to Suki.

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five – the pipes – the filters – she's reversing it! Look at that." The icicles were beginning to melt. "It's getting hot." The Doctor said.

"I said, terminate!" he frantically places his own hands over Suki's. "Burn her mind." All the screens suddenly explode with sparks, and the Drones fall lifeless to the floor. Satellite Five shudders, and alarms go off. My manacles come undone. The Editor tries to get the corpses to sit upright again.

"She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." The Jagrafess was roaring violently. The Doctor and I laugh. The Editor turns in response to the Jagrafess' roars.

"Yes! Uh, I'm trying, sir but – I don't know how she did it, it's impossible. A member of staff with an idea –" the Jagrafess roars angrily. The Editor pushes Suki's body aside, and tries to operate the computer himself. Free of my manacles, I fumble in the Doctor' jacket pocket for his sonic screwdriver, while the Jagrafess roars and snaps at us menacingly.

"What do I do?" I asked him.

"Flick the switch!" I do so, and the sonic screwdriver buzzes. A small explosion goes off nearby, causing me to jump. I use the screwdriver to free the Doctor. He says to the Editor. "Oi, mate – wanna bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body. Massive bang!" he frees himself just as lumps of flesh start falling off the Jagrafess. "See you in the headlines!" he took my hand and we ran for it. We ran across Floor 500 hand in hand, avoiding the huge lumps of snow falling from the ceiling. We enter the room Cathica was in, the information still streaming into her. The Doctor clicks his fingers and the door in her head closes. She looks up at the Doctor, who smiles at her. We were recovering from the commotion. The Doctor and Cathica were sitting at a table in the canteen area, I leaned on a bar behind them. "We're just gonna go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage." The Doctor told her.

"You'll have to stay and explain it – no-one's gonna believe me." she said.

"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The Human Race should accelerate. All back to normal." Cathica eyed Adam, who was loitering by Des.

"What about your friend?" she asked.

"He's not my friend." There was something menacing in the way he stood up and marched in Adam's direction. I move from the bar to stop him.

"Now, don't –" he ignores me and advances on Adam.

"I'm all right now. Much better. Well, it's . . . I know . . ." he laughs nervously. "It all worked out for the best, didn't it?" I bit my lip at I watched, a little scared. The Doctor grabs Adam and unlocks the door of the TARDIS. "You know, it's not actually my fault, because **YOU** were in charge –" the Doctor shoves Adam inside, ignoring him completely. I quickly follow in, silently. The Doctor steers Adam out once the TARDIS lands. I follow them out, shutting the doors behind me. "It's my house! I'm home! Oh, my God, I'm home!" the Doctor glares at him. "Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock." I looked down at the floor, 'I did too.'

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" the Doctor asked him.

"No. Um . . . what do you mean?" The Doctor walks over to the telephone and picks it up.

"The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could've changed the world." Adam looks rather caught out. The Doctor puts down the phone, and takes out his sonic screwdriver. Adam looks as though he wants to stop him, but can't think of anything to say, and merely points at him wordlessly while he blows up the telephone. "That's it, then. See ya." The Doctor walks back to Des's doors.

"How do you mean, 'see ya'?" Adam asked.

"As in 'goodbye'." The Doctor said.

"But . . . what about me? You can't just go, I've got my head – I've got a chip type two, my head opens."

"What, like this?" he clicks his fingers, opening Adam's head.

"Don't." he said angrily. He clicks his fingers and it closes.

"Don't do what?" the Doctor clicks his fingers again.

"Stop it!" Adam closes it again.

"All right now, Doctor, that's enough. Stop it." The Doctor backs down.

"Thank you." I glare at him and snap my fingers.

"Oi!" I frowned at him as he closed it again.

"I asked the Doctor to let you come along with us and you throw it back in our faces?" I bring out my wand out of it holster and pointed it at Adam. He backed away with wide eyes. "I don't give second chances." I moved towards him until my wand was on his forehead. "Episkey." I whispered, Adam let out a grunt of pain. Then I swished my wand, "Obliviate." Making him forget about me and the Doctor, the TARDIS, and the trip to Satellite Five. He fell to the ground unconscious as the spell replaces the memories with new ones. I place my wand back and walking into the TARDIS, the Doctor behind me. My phone begins to ring. I answer it.

[Jessa.]

[ _Take me to see him_.] I sighed as I look towards to the Doctor. He raised an eyebrow.

"Rose wants to go to the day dad died." I told him, "Please, just this once Doctor and I won't asked for anything like this again." he crosses his arms. I walk over to him, "I promise, Doctor." I stare up into his beautiful blue eyes as he stared down into my dark greens. He sighs and nods.

"Only this one time, Jessamine." I nodded in agreement. I put the phone back to my ear.

[We're on our way.] I hung up as Rose begin to squeal in excitement. I went to my room and fell face first into my bed, not at all ready to relive that day.


	9. Father's Day

Once we picked up Rose from home, I showed her to my room and then left her to explore. I went back to the control room where the Doctor had taken a seat while I was busy with my little sister. I pulled a photograph of my dad and me on my third birthday out of my jacket pocket as I walked over to him.

"Peter Alan Tyler – my dad." I handed him the picture as I went on, "The most wonderful man in the world. Born the fifteen of September 1954." I lean against the console. "That's what mum always told Rose. But he truly was an amazing dad. So could we take Rose to see our dad when he was still alive?" I asked him. He crossed his arms and stared at me with a raise eyebrow.

"Where's this come from, all of a sudden?" he asked.

"If we can't then never mind, let's take Rose back." I got up and started to walk back to my room. The Doctor grabbed my wrist, stopping me. I looked back at him, questioningly.

"No, I can do anything. I'm just more worried about you." He said softly. I bit my lip, torn. One side of me absolutely wanted nothing to do with this while the other was all for it. I sighed, Rose deserved to see him I just wish it wasn't the day he died that she wanted to go to.

"She wants to see him." I whispered, brokenly. He lets go of my wrist with a sigh.

"Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for." He starts up Des's engines, leaving me to my thoughts. ' _I already regret this wish_.' When Des landed, Rose rushed out of the doors, the Doctor hot on her heels to keep her in sight. I slowly walked out and leaned against the doors. I let a small smile grace my lips when I realize that we were at my parents wedding and the day they adopted me.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentiss . . ." Dad gulped and looked towards mum.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Suzanne . . . Suzette . . . Anita . . ." he stumbled, mum narrowed her eyes slightly. Dad looked at the Registrar for help.

"Oh, just carry on. It's good enough for Lady Di." Mum said. I smirked and shook my head that was so like her to say something like that.

"I thought he'd be taller." Rose whispered. I moved over to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulder in silent comfort.

". . . to be my lawful wedded wife, to love and behold 'til death do us part." A baby's cry sounds out through the registry office. Mum and dad snapped their heads to the right part of the room, I followed their direction. Near the right side of the wall, a woman was lightly bouncing a rusty-brown haired four month old baby girl in her arms. I stared the baby as Rose dragged me back into Des. She looked at me expectedly when we stopped at the console. I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked. She nodded her head to the Doctor and I rolled my eyes, "Your twenty years old, Rose. You tell him." She crossed her arms and glared at me. I glared back, tired of her childish attitude. I turned to the Doctor. "Our dad died alone, so she wants to be there for him."

"November the seventh?" he asked as he moved around the console.

"1987." The Doctor started the engines, Rose and I watched them apprehensively. When they stopped, we looked at the door. We stepped out of Des, it was a normal average day.

"That's so weird. The day our father died . . . I thought it'd be all sort of grim and stormy, it's just an ordinary day." Rose said to me, I bit my lip hard. I really wasn't ready for this. The sudden taste of copper made me release my lip.

"The past is another country. 1987's just the Isle of Wright." The Doctor told her before looking down at me. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. I looked at him, eyes sort of glassy looking but nodded my head that I was fine. We stood on the curb, waiting.

"This is it. Jordan Road. He was late. He'd been to get a wedding present – a vase. Mum always said that stupid vase. Remember Jessa?" I flinched at the reminder. Rose sounded as though she was trying to fight off tears. Dad's car rounds the corner. I moved closer to the Doctor. "He got out of his car." He pulls over. "And crossed the road." I bit on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from yelling at Rose. Dad stops the car. "Oh, God. This is it." Dad, oblivious to what was in store for him, picks up the vase from the passenger's seat before turning his attention to the backseat. I nearly bolted right there and then if it hadn't been for the Doctor gently taking my hand in his, and intertwining our fingers. I sent him a grateful smile. Dad got out of the car, unaware that a car had just rounded the corner and was headed straight towards him. His eyes widen in shock, the driver throws a hand over his eyes. Rose quickly hides her head behind my shoulder. I watched with wide horrified eyes as the car hit my father. I watched as that blasted vase fell to the ground and smashed to pieces. Rose lifts her head to look at our father, who was lying on the road, twitching.

"Go to him. Quick." I heard the Doctor say to us. But I couldn't move, it wasn't over. Rose tried to run away but I held on to her wrist tightly making her see the truth of what happened that day. A banging sound started to come from the car before the door to the backseat opened. A rusty-brown haired five year old girl hopped out of the car, she ran to dad.

"Daddy!" she cried as she shook his shoulder, "Daddy, get up!" I pulled away from the Doctor and Rose and ran into an alley, not able to watch anymore. They ran after me and lean against the opposite wall from me. Rose had tears in her eyes. The ambulance sirens could be heard in the distance.

"It's too late now." The Doctor looks at me, "By the time the ambulance got there, he was dead." My voice falters, choked up with unshed tears. The Doctor looks away in silence. Rose turns to him. He looks at her.

"Can I try again?" she asked him. I could tell from the Doctor's eyes that he thought it would be a bad idea. Even I knew it was.

"Please, Doctor." I said to him. He turned to me and slowly nodded, the look still there in his eyes. This time we stood out of sight around the corner, watching the first set of ourselves standing on the curb.

"Right. That's the first us. It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait 'til she runs off and they follow, then go to your dad." The Doctor told Rose. We watched as dad's car draws up again.

"Oh, God. This is it." we heard the first Rose say. Dad picked up the vase and turned his attention to the little girl in the backseat.

"I can't do this." Rose said. I placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked towards me.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but this is the last time we can be here." I told her, she nodded. I pulled my hand back and watched. Rose stared at our father getting out of the car, breathing heavily. Then, she's suddenly running out of the alley. I try to lunge for her but the Doctor held me back. "Rose, no!" I yelled to her. The car rounds the corner. Rose runs past the first set of us, and knocks dad out of the way of the oncoming car. They tumbled onto the floor. The first set of us look bewildered for a few seconds, then disappear. The Doctor and I look on in horror. Rose stares at dad as he gets to his feet.

"I did it! I saved your life!" she exclaimed.

"Blimey, did you see the speed of it? Did you get his number?" dad asked her.

"I really did it. Oh, my God, look at you! You're alive! That car was gonna kill ya!" she stares at him.

"Well, give me some credit, I did see it coming. I wasn't gonna walk under it, was I?" he questioned.

"I'm Rose." She looks at him expectantly. Dad opened his mouth when the banging from the car started and soon the little girl appeared. She ran to dad and hugged his leg.

"Daddy!" she cried. Dad bent down and scoped her up into his arms.

"Jessamine, I'm all right, love." He pecked her cheek, Rose stared at little me in shock. Dad turned back to her. "That's a coincidence. That's my younger daughter's name."

"That's a great name. Good choice, well done." Rose smiled in delight. There was a few seconds of silence as Rose just smiles at him, unable to take her eyes off him. Dad looked as though he doesn't quite know what to say next.

"Right, we'd better shift. We've got a wedding to go to." He said as he moved to the car to buckle younger me. Rose followed them.

"Is that Sarah Clarke's wedding?" She asked.

"Yeah, are you going?" he questioned. I shook my head at her negatively, she bit her lip before slowly nodding to him.

". . . Yeah." I scowled at her, my true green eyes hardening like emeralds.

"You, your boyfriend, and his sister need a ride." I bristled at that, if looks could kill Rose would be six feet under by now. Dad gestured to the Doctor and I, the Doctor was watching them darkly from the corner we were standing by. We pile into the car, the Doctor sat by little me so we wouldn't touch on accident and cause a paradox. Rose sat in the passenger seat, still staring at dad as he drove us to our flat. When dad parks the car in the flat lot, he went to little me side of the car and unbuckled her, swinging her up on his hip. Rose quickly followed his lead while the Doctor and I took our time. Dad enters the flat first, followed by Rose and then the Doctor and I. Dad puts little me down and goes back to the car to get the vase, when he returns he places it by the door. "There we go. Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchen just down there, milk's in the fridge . . . well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one fore yogurt . . . make a lot of money out of that." Rose couldn't tear her eyes away from him, she smiled at him in delight as he speaks. The Doctor nods politely behind her, I simply frown crossing my arms and looking away from them.

"Daddy?" little me asked. I slightly turn my eyes to her, she was holding on to his pant leg looking up at him with an adoring look in her green child wide eyes. Dad looked down at her with a loving and tender smile.

"Yes, my little star?" he asked, my breathing hitched in my throat. I haven't heard that pet name in eighteen years.

"You're rambling." She told him, dad let out a few lively chuckles. I saw the Doctor's lip twitch upward for a moment. Dad patted little me head and pushed pasted us, disappearing into mum's room little me following him. Rose looked around the flat.

"All the stuff mum kept. His stuff, Jessa. She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard, she used to show us when she'd had a bit to drink." The Doctor leans against the doorframe, saying nothing but his stare on me. I hunched my shoulders and stared out the window, ignoring them both. "Here it is. On display. Where it **SHOULD** be." The Doctor was still not talking. He just watched me with his arms folded. I could see his angry look in his reflection on the window. Rose picks up a trophy and shows it to us.

"Third prize at the bowling . . . first two got to go to Didcot." She examines it for a few more seconds, then replaces it. Her eyes were drawn to the large bottles in the corner of the room. The failed health drinks dad try to sale, she bends down to look at it. "Health drinks. Tonics, mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He's so clever." I closed my eyes in despair at all the lies mum told her for our sake and sanity. The Doctor keeps quiet. "Solar power. Mum said he was gonna do this. Now he can." I turned to finally look at her then through reflections. She looked at us, smiling. We don't smile back.

"Okay, look . . . I'll tell him that he's not my boyfriend." She said to me, I kept silent. She started to fidget under stare and total silence. "Well, say something."

"You complete and total idiot, do you even realise what you've done." Trying to keep my voice void of any emotions. Rose jerks in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" she had the gull to ask. I narrowed my eyes and took a few steps towards her.

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about the fact that you just saved our dad!" I whispered yelled so that dad and little me didn't hear. Rose glared and placed her hands on her hips.

"You should be happy about that! He's alive!" I clenched my fist.

"Rose, you have no idea what this could do! We already made that point vulnerable by having two sets of us there!" we began to get into each other space.

"Oh, so it's alright for you and your alien boyfriend to save the damn world and whoever crosses your path but when it comes to saving someone you've known your whole life it's out of the question!" I let out a petal of disbelief laughter.

"One." I raised my hand up to her face and held up one finger. "He's not my boyfriend. Two." Another finger went up, "I'd died for the world if it meant saving it. And Three." I brought the final finger up. "The Doctor knows what he's doing and I follow his instructions to a tee. So you had absolutely no rights to do what you just did!" I all but scream at her.

"It's not like I changed **HISTORY** , Jessa. He not's gonna be a leader or anything. Why can't you just be happy that we can grow up with dad now?" I pushed her, Rose stumbled back a bit and looked up at me in shock. I was trembling with fury, I took a half a step towards her when the Doctor suddenly stood in front of me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back slightly. I struggled and wiggled to get out of his hold but he just held on tighter. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder to look at Rose.

"What Jessa means is that time is delicate –" I glared up at him.

"Hell no that's not what I mean!" I yelled and tore away from him. I moved back to Rose but this time made sure to stay out of reach. "Because he's alive the whole world is different now, Rose and I hope you can live with the consequences." I spared her one last glare before turning and headed towards the door.

"And where are you going?" I paused in the front way, halfway turning to her.

"You got what you wanted and since you apparently know everything about time travel, you can find your own back." I turned back to the door, motioning at the Doctor to follow.

"That doesn't scare me." We froze at Rose's unconvincing statement. "You'll just hang out by that box waiting for me." I gave her a blank stare then open the door and walked out, the Doctor closing the door behind us. Still fuming, I decide to walk ahead of the Doctor so I wouldn't take my anger out on him. Suddenly a hand was placed on my shoulder startling me, I stopped in place and glanced back connecting my evergreen eyes with the Doctor's stunning baby blues. He slowly turned me around to face him before approaching my space slowly too, acting like I could be spooked at any moment. He cupped my face in his hands, wiping his thumbs under my eyes. I brought a hand up, lightly touching my cheek and pulled my hand back seeing and feeling tears. I had no idea that I was crying until now. I looked back up at the Doctor seeing compassion, pain, sympathise, and understanding in his eyes. I open my mouth to speak, only to close it when nothing came out. I did this a few times before clasping my hands around his wrists, my body shaking to the core as I let all my emotions out into tears. The Doctor placed his forehead to my hairline, murmuring soothing words to me. We stayed in that position for ten minutes when I finally got control over my emotions. Sniffling with light little hiccups coming through every once in a while as I wiped my eyes with the collar of my shirt.

"Why does **EVERYONE** think we're a couple?" The Doctor let out a few chuckles, I smiled slightly. Finally getting my eyes dry, I take the Doctor's hand and we started to walk back to Des again. As we round the corner of the road where we parked Des, a bird caws. As we approach Des, I faltered in my step and looked up at her. She was quiet, usually she started to talk my . . . ah, brain off? I inwardly shook that thought away for now. The Doctor had kept walking to Des, he took his key out of his pocket and then suddenly looked up at the sky through the bare branches of a tree. I followed his stare trying to figure out what he sensed that felt wrong. He opens the doors to Des, I covered my mouth with my hands in horrified shock. Des was empty on the inside! She was just an ordinary police-box now. The Doctor had stepped inside and felt around her walls frantically, then stopped turning to me with the same horrified shock. We stared at one another before realisation struck us.

"Rose!" we shouted in unison running back in the direction we came from. We quickly stopped at the flat but they weren't there. The Doctor turned towards me.

"You know where they went?" he took hold of my shoulders, I nodded frantically before running to the left towards the church.

"They're at Sarah Clarks wedding!" I yelled to him at he caught up to my pace. Running as fast as we could to the church. As we turn another corner the church finally came into view. I could make out Rose in the distance as well as little me. "Rose!" I screamed. Upon hearing my voice, Rose turns around with a satisfied smile on her face. "Get in the church!" Rose's smile faded as she heard the urgency in my voice. The Doctor and I look to our left, my eyes widen in terror as a black dragon-like thing appears before our eyes. I ran faster hearing Rose scream as the creature flew down towards her. I knock her out of the way just in time, we both fell to the ground and quickly scrambled to our feet. "Get in the church!" The crowd that was outside the church tried to run for the door, but stopped when another one of those things appeared.

"Oh, my God. What are they?" some woman asked. People who were inside the church started coming out. They started to scream.

"Inside!" the Doctor yelled. The things started to bear down on them. The people that just came out tried to come out the door. "Stay in there!" but they just kept ignoring our warnings. The Doctor started to usher everyone in the church. "In!" Two of the creature flew towards the church doors, but he manage to shut them just in time. I flinched at the high pitch scream that came from them.

Once inside, everyone started to panic. The Doctor looked around at the shadows of those creatures outside the window.

"They can't get in. Old windows and doors, okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else?" the things screech again. "Go and check the other doors! Move!" he runs and pushes against a wooden door on the side of the church. Mum ran after him.

"What's happening? What are they?" She grabbed his arm, "What **ARE** they?"

"There's been an accident in time, a wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage." I watched as mum followed him.

"What do you mean, time? What're you jabbering on about, time?" she hound him.

"Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining –" I groaned and face planted into my hand. ' _Really? Every time they meet, Merlin this is going to be a long day_.'

"How d'you know my name?" mum cut across him.

"I haven't got time for this –" he talked over her.

"I've never met you in my life!" she talked over him again. I looked over to the Doctor worried, biting my lower lip. He quickly glanced at me before looking back at mum.

"No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind – I've waited a long time to say this – Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go – and – check – the – doors." He pointed in the direction of the doors, his voice loud and commanding. ' _That was kind of sexy_.' I felt my cheeks heat up at the thought. Mum stares at him.

"Yes, sir." The Doctor grins, obviously pleased with himself, as mum walked away. He turned to me and winked, making me bit more flustered. "I should've done that ages ago." I rolled my eyes at him but smiled.

"My dad was out there." We turned to the man who spoke behind us.

"You can mourn him later, right now we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive." The Doctor said unkindly.

"My dad had –" the Doctor interrupted him.

"There's **NOTHING** I can do for him." I gave the man apologetic look for the Doctor's behaviour.

"No. But he had this phone thing. I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice . . ." he pulled out a chunky mobile out of his pocket. I winced at the sight of the ugly, ancient thing, I made sure mum got rid of hers the moment they started making the mobiles we now use and love. The Doctor dials a number and holds the phone to his ear.

[ _Watson – come here – we need you. Watson – come here – we need you_.] The Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"That's the very first phone-call, Alexander Graham Bell." He gives the phone back.

"I don't think that's gonna be much use." I told him, as the Doctor makes to run off again to check another door.

"But someone must call the police!" he called after him.

"Police can't help you now. No-one can." Rose and I watch him, along with the other guests. "Nothing in this Universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilise the wound." He looked at Rose and me in the eyes. "By consuming everything in sight." I shut my eyes, letting my head hang in shame.

"Is this because . . ." Rose began shakily, I lift my head and looked at her. The anger I held for her was gone and replace with self-hate for giving into Rose. "Is this my fault?" I let out a choked laugh before walking away from her, shaking my head. The Doctor followed soon behind me. We enter the anteroom and found dad checking if the door was secure. The Doctor looked out the window, I stood in the archway staring at my dad as he join the Doctor.

"There's smoke coming up from the city but no sirens. I – I don't think it's just us, I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world." He said urgently. The Doctor wasn't listening to him. I turn to the window at the sound of screeching tires.

"Did I just hear a car?" I asked as I moved over to the window to look out it. The Doctor stopped me by wrapping an arm around my waist, keeping me at his side. I furrowed my brow in confusion, he just sort of stared at me for a moment.

"It's not important. Don't worry about it." he finally spoke before dragging me out of the room. I looked back watching my dad stare out the window. The Doctor let go of me and went to check on some other doors and windows. I looked for Rose before spotting her sitting by herself near the altar. I walked over to her and slowly sat down next to her, looking out the corner of my eye I could tell that she'd been crying. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and brought her closer to me. She placed her head on my shoulder and held on to me tight. I wrapped my other arm around her, just holding her still staring straight ahead. We both looked over when we heard someone stop beside us.

"This mate of yours . . . what do you mean, this is your fault?" dad asked Rose, his hands in his pockets.

"Dunno . . . just . . . everything." She replied teary.

"I gave you my car keys." We gaze at him, eyes slightly red. "You don't give your keys to a complete stranger." We still watched him as he works it out. "It's . . . it's like I trusted you, both of you. Moment we met, I just did. A wound in time . . ." Rose chews on her lip and I look back ahead of us. "You called me Dad. I can see it . . . my eyes . . . Jackie's attitude . . . you sound like her when you shout . . ." I looked over to him, finding him staring at me. "I heard your hitch of breath when I called my oldest daughter by her pet name . . . you both look exactly the same . . . Jackie's attitude too . . ." he reached out and touched our faces tentatively. Rose closed her eyes while I sniffed softly. He drops his hands, but we took one in ours. Rose held one to her face while I just held the other in my hand. "You are. You are . . . you're my Jessamine and Rose. You're my Jessamine and Rose grown up." He throws his arms around us both. Losing all remaining control, Rose's tears start to flow again with mine not too far behind.

"Daddy . . . Daddy." I whispered over and over, Rose doing the same, as we embrace. We moved to a side room to talk more.

"I'm a dad. I mean, I'm already a dad, but . . . Jessamine and Rose grows up, and they're you. That's wonderful. I suppose I thought that you'd be a bit – useless – what, with my useless genes and all, but . . ." Rose and I laugh slightly. Dad was apparently fascinated by us. "How did you get here?" Rose looked to me.

"Do you really wanna know?" I asked him.

"Yeah!"

"A time machine." I said simply.

"Time machine." He said after a stunned pause.

"Cross our hearts." I smiled and nudge Rose with my elbow, making her smile and giggle.

"What, do they all have time machines where you come from?" Dad was also smiling.

"No, just the Doctor." I shook my head.

"Did you know these things were coming?" he asked, again, I shook my head.

"No." he stared at us incredulous.

"God, I dunno, my head's spinning." Rose looks down. "What's the future like?"

"It's not so different." Rose shrugged.

"What am I like? Have I gone grey?" he laughs. We don't answer, just watched him. His smile fades slightly. "Have I gone bald? Don't tell me I've gone bald." We still don't answer. Dad clears his throat. He turned to me, "So, if this mate of yours isn't your boyfriend – and I have to say, I'm glad because being your dad and all, I think he's a bit old for you . . ." I laughed. "Have you got a bloke?"

"No." I shook my head. There were running footsteps and mum's voice rings out.

"Mickey!" a younger version of Mickey runs up to me and throws his arms around my legs, eyes shut tight.

"Do you know him?" Dad asked.

"Yes, you'll have to let go of me, sweetheart . . ." Mum enters and Mickey goes back to her. "I'm always saying that." I said under my breath to myself.

"He just grabs hold of what's passing and holds on for dear life. God help his poor girlfriend if he ever gets one." She said putting an arm around his shoulders, her other hand holding little me's hand.

"We were just talking . . ." Dad stuttered.

"Oh, yeah? Talking? While the world comes to an end, what do you do? Cling to the youngest blonde and brunette." Rose looked upset and I kept a blank face, making sure that Rose doesn't say anything. "Come on, Mick." She takes his hand and leads the younger versions away. Dad makes to follow, but we grab his arms to stop him.

"You can't tell her." Rose said.

"Why?" he looked at us both.

"I mean . . . we really don't **WANT** you to tell her." I said.

"What, do you not want people to know?" he asked us.

"Where we come from, Jackie doesn't know how to work the timer on the video recorder." Rose told him. Dad grinned.

"I showed her that last week." We nod, he stopped grinning. "Point taken." I left Rose with dad and went to find the Doctor. He was standing with baby Rose in her carry-tot and little me standing beside him on the bench watching baby Rose. I walked over and stood close behind him.

"Now, Rose . . . you're not gonna bring about the end of the world, are you?" he paused, "Are you?" he said sternly. Baby Rose stares innocently up at him. I move more to the side to make my presence known. He glances at me. "Jackie gave them to me to look after. How times change."

"I better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken." I tried to make light-hearted conversation. Little me reached out trying to take my hand. I jump back while the Doctor grabs her hand quickly and lightly pushes it back.

"No. Don't touch the adult." She looked up at him, pouting slightly. "You're both the same person and that's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening. Not with these things outside. Anything new – any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in." she nodded slowly before looking at me sadly.

"It's okay, everyone makes mistakes evening us." I smiled softly to her which she returned.

"But between you and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea." I look at him intently. "No way out."

"You'll think of something." I said quietly.

"The entire Earth is being sterilised. This, and other place like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures." He looks at the shadows circling the church. "They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening – my people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And now I'm going the same way."

"If I'd realised that she was going to do that, I would never had asked you of this Doctor. Ever since we got here, I haven't see a single name or felt any pain." He looked at me, I meet his eyes.

"Just . . . tell me you're sorry." My gaze doesn't falter, if anything it got stronger.

"I am so sorry, Doctor." I said sincerely. The Doctor reaches out to me, cupping a hand around my face. Then, he grins and pulls me in for a hug. I return the embrace with equal vigour. After a few moments, I pull away, feeling inside the Doctor's jacket pocket. "Have you got something hot?" there's a sizzling sound as I take his TARDIS key out of his pocket. I drop it to the floor. We look at it as it glowed brightly.

"It's a TARDIS key!" he takes his jacket off and uses it to pick up the hot key. "It's telling me it's still connected to the TARDIS!" The Doctor moved to the pulpit, he showed them the key as he addressed the remaining guest. "The inside of my ship was thrown out of a wound but we can use THIS to bring it back. And once I've got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?" Stuart, I know remember his name, jumps up and shows the Doctor that dinosaur phone again.

"This one big enough?" he asked.

"Fantastic." The Doctor hurried to him.

"Good old dad." He hands the phone over, "There you go."

"Just need to do a bit of charging up . . ." he presses his sonic screwdriver to the battery. "And then we can bring everyone back." He glanced around the church as he charges the battery up. I look warily round at the doors, they were shaking as the Reaper throws its weight against it. The TARDIS finally started to materialise, the key in her lock, in the front of the church. The Doctor puts his jacket back on, grinning. He runs back up the steps to the pulpit to speak to us again. "Right, no-one touches that key. Have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be – well – **ZAP**. Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. All of us. Stuart – Sarah – you're gonna get married, just like I said." He grins encouragingly.

Des was materialising slowly but surely. I stood close to her, I felt awkward around the younger version of my family so I decide to stay away for now. The Doctor and Rose sat beside each other on a pew a couple steps away from me, dad was behind them and mum keep casting contemptuous glances over her shoulder at them.

"When time gets sorted out . . ." Rose trailed off for the Doctor to fill in.

"Everybody here forgets what happened. And don't worry – the thing that you changed will stay changed." I walked over to them and leaned against the pew behind me. The Doctor sent me a small smile.

"You mean I'll still be alive." Rose turns around in her chair to face dad while I snap my head up to him. "Though I'm meant to be dead." We just look at him without speaking. He nods. "That's why I haven't done anything with my life. Why I didn't **MEAN** anything." I bit my lip, eyes watering slightly.

"It doesn't work like that." The Doctor told him for my benefit.

"Rubbish. I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened." I reached over suddenly and put a hand on dad's arm.

"This is **MY** fault." My voice wavered. He cover my hand with his and shook his head.

"No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault." Mum appeared next to us.

"Her dad? How are you her dad? How old were you, twelve?" the Doctor rolled his eyes and distances himself. "Oh, that's **DISGUSTING**."

"Jacks – listen. This is Jessamine." Dad stood up, motioning to me and then to Rose, "And that's Rose."

"Jessamine? Rose? How sick is that? You give my daughters second hand names? How many are there? Do you call them **ALL** Jessamine and Rose?" mum said in a low voice belaying her anger.

"Oh, for God's sake, look! It's the **SAME** Jessamine and Rose!" Dad takes little me from mum and drops her in my arms. I basically had no choice but to catch her. The Doctor starts, but too late.

"Jessamine! No!" too late, I place little me on the ground back by mum's side. A reaper appears in the middle of the church. The guests scream and leap to their feet. "Everyone! Behind me!" everyone gathers behind the Doctor. The Reaper chirps menacingly and spreads its winds. The Doctor addresses the Reaper. "I'm the oldest thing in here." The Reaper bears down upon him.

"Doctor!" I screamed, terrified. I watched, horrified, as the Reaper consumes him. I clutched at my head when a sudden intense pain shot through, I turn slightly when I heard a little girl scream in pain. Dad and mum were trying to figure out why little me was screaming and crying in pain. I look back to the other screaming guests. The reaper was swooping around the church and then collides with the semi-transparent TARDIS and disappears, TARDIS and all. The key falls to the floor, no longer glowing. There was silence for a few seconds, then I book it down the aisle and pick up the key.

"Cold. He's cold." My voice numb with shock. Dad approaches me cautiously, all the while looking nervously around the church. "Oh, my God, he's dead." Dad reaches out to me, but I shake him off. "It's all my fault . . . all of you . . . both of you . . ." my voice begins to crack as the impact of what's happened hits me. Dad takes me into his arms. ". . . the whole world . . ." the light in the church dims as though a cloud has passed over the sun. All this time of saving the Earth, I'm the one destroying it now. I pulled out of dad's arms and went to sit on my own in the dark church. I was silent and grief stricken. Dad approaches me again, this time carrying his jacket.

"The Doctor really cared about you . . ." I looked up at him. "He didn't want you to go through it again if there was another way. Now there isn't." I stood up.

"What're you talking about?" I asked as he put his jacket on.

"The car that should've killed me, love. It's here. The Doctor worked it out way back, but he, er – he tried to protect me." I stared at him, my eyes filling with tears. "Still – he's not in charge anymore. I am."

"But . . ." my voice cracks horribly. Dad reaches out and strokes my face.

"Who am I, love?" he asked.

"My Daddy." I whispered brokenly. Mum and Rose approaches us. Mum looks at Rose and me, eyes wide.

"Jackie . . . look at them. They're ours." She looks at us, the truth dawning upon her. We look back, tearful.

"Oh, God . . ." mum throws her arms around Rose for a moment, then me, her eyes shut tightly. When she let go, she looked at dad.

"I'm meant to be dead, Jackie. You're gonna get rid of me at last." Mum freezes a bit.

"Don't say that." She held back her tears.

"For once in your life, trust me. It's got be done. You've got to survive, because you've got to bring up our daughters." He gestures to us, then pulls mum in for a last kiss. He turns back to us. "I never read you those bedtime stories. I never took you on those picnics. I was never there for you." He looked at me first and then Rose.

"You would've been." I said, a few tears rolled down my cheeks.

"But I can do this for you. I can be a proper dad to you now."

"But it's not fair." Rose cried. Dad smiled at us.

"I've had all these extra hours. No-one else in the world has ever had that. And on top of that . . . I get to see the both of you." He places a hand on one of our cheeks. "And you're both so beautiful." Rose sobs silently while a few more tears flowed down my cheek again. "How lucky am I, eh? So, come on . . . do as your dad says." Slowly, with tears still flowing, I hand him the vase. "Are you going to be there for me, loves?" we nod, dad moves his hands to our shoulders and looks us in the eyes, "Thanks for saving me." He pulls us and mum into a tight embrace.

Dad runs out of the doors, holding the vase. I tore away from Rose and ran after him. He looked back at me in shock as we stop just outside the gate. He looked up at a Reaper and it begins to bear down upon him. We turn to see the car appear from thin air around the corner. One last glance at me, dad runs straight out in front of it. I stood on the sidewalk, watching his death for the last time.

"Goodbye, love . . ." The wind blew his whispered words to me.

"Goodbye, daddy." A single tear ran down my face. The driver threw a hand over his eyes as the car knocks Dad over. The vase crashed to the ground and breaks. I raced over to dad and kneel down next to him. I took a hold of his hand and lift his head slightly off the ground. Rose joins us soon and takes his other hand in hers. We looked into each other eyes as he takes his last and few breaths. Finally, his eyes close and his head falls back. I lower his head gently to the ground. Rose places a kiss on his forehead and stands up, walking away. I stayed there kneeling for a few more moments. I brushed his hair away from his forehead. I looked up when a small hand tapped my shoulder. Little me was standing beside me with tears pouring from her eyes.

"Why? Why can't we be happy?" my eyes widen, she remember our past. I took a stuttering breath.

"We just weren't made for a normal life." She sniffed and looked away. I looked back at dad before placing a kiss to his forehead and stood up. Little me kneeled down by him and laid her head on his chest. I watched for a moment before turning and saw the Doctor. "But," she looked up at me, I smiled to her and pointed to the Doctor. "He makes us happy and I would never want to give that or him up." I walk over to the Doctor, he nods his head to Rose. I look over to her and sigh.

"Let's get her home." He takes my hand, and we walk slowly back to Des together, Rose behind us. We soon enter Des, she greeted me like she always did and then the Doctor took us back to our home where we dropped Rose off before going on the next adventure.


	10. The Empty Child

"What the bloody hell is the emergency?" I questioned as Des hurtled us through space.

"It's mauve." The Doctor told me, I looked at him like he was nuts which he was. We rushed around the console, as Des shudders and shakes.

"And what's mauve?"

"The universally recognized colour for danger." I paused to stared at him, amused.

"What happened to red?" I dared to asked.

"That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All this red alerts, all that dancing." He gestures to the object we're following through the Time Vortex on the monitor. "It's got a very basic flight computer - I've hacked in, slaved the TARDIS. Where it goes, we go." I looked at him a little worried.

"And how safe is it?" he gave me a huge grin.

"Totally." Part of the console explodes causing me to flinch away before turning a glare at him, "Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there." I rolled my eyes at him as he gave me a sheepish look. The Doctor rushes over to the monitor with a panicked look.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks - getting away from us." I took a closer look at the object we were following after making sure I wasn't going to become barbecue by the console.

"What exactly is this thing?" I asked.

"No idea." I gave him an incredible stare at that.

"Then why are we flipping chasing it?" The Doctor gave me that special grin, the one that promised adventure.

"It's mauve and dangerous. And about thirty seconds from the centre of London." Finally, Des lands and I walk out with the Doctor following behind. "Do you know how long we can knock around space without having to bump into Earth?"

"Five days? Or is that just when we're out of milk?" I joked.

"Of all the species in all the universe and it has to come out of a cow." I snickered as we walked away from Des. "Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

"A month?! We were right behind it!" I exclaimed in shock.

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place, we're bound to be a little bit out. Do **YOU** wanna drive?" My eyes brighten in excitement.

"Can I? And how much is 'a little'?" The Doctor chuckled a little at my hopeful expression.

"Maybe and a bit." He shrugged on the last part, I looked at him suspicious.

"Is that **EXACTLY** a bit?"

"Ish." he simply nodded. I groaned at his answer.

"What's the plan, then? Are you gonna do a scan for alien tech or something?" He shook his head, I raised an eyebrow perplexed.

"Jessamine, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm gonna ask." He started to show me the psychic paper before remembering that I couldn't read it. "Psychic Paper, tells you —"

"Whatever you want it to tell them, I remember." I finished for him.

"Sorry." I smiled at him.

"It's fine, you aren't use to someone like me is all. But it's not very Spock, is it? Just asking?" I watched him as he tried to get through a door.

"Door - music - people. What d'you think?" I noticed a poster and got up a little to get a better look. On the poster was the word Hitler and bombs too, I looked back to the Doctor who didn't notice it.

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech." I stressed to him looking back to the World War II poster. He ignores me and raises his sonic screwdriver to the door. "Doctor, I really think you should just do a scan."

"Are you sure about that t-shirt?" I frowned and looked down at my shirt, it was a faded blue with the Union Jack on it.

"What's wrong with my shirt?" I asked him, confused. He continues to ignore me and trying to unlock the door with his screwdriver. I let out a sigh of frustration before turning around as I heard an eerie child voice.

" _Muuuu - mmy_?" Shuddering at the creepy sound, I looked around for the source of the voice. " _Muuuu - mmy_?"

"Come on if you're coming. Won't take a minute." The Doctor said after finally cracking the lock. He goes through the door but I don't follow him, I decided to keep looking for the child while he embarrasses himself.

" _Muuuuumy_?" I finally spot the kid standing on a roof-top.

"What the hell? Doctor, there's a kid up there!" I turn back to the door to see if he was still there but he was gone. I run to try and find a way onto the roof. ' _Sorry, Doctor but I got to break the no running off rule this one time_.' I run up the building on top of which the kid stands. "Are you all right up there?" I shouted to him.

" _Muuuuum - my_?" I shuddered again.

"Okay, that's just getting scary now." I whispered to myself as I run up the steps that go up the side of the building. I finally finished climbing the steps, but they didn't go all the way to the roof-top. The kid was standing precariously on the edge.

" _Mummy_?" I froze a little at that one, I stared up at the kid. Instead of seeing the boy in a gas mask, I saw my Harry when he was six and was stuck in a tree on the first branch. I sucked in a huge breath before blinking the tears away and looked back at the kid.

"Okay, don't move." I called up to him. He looked down at me. Suddenly, a rope swings into sight, going up the side of the building seemingly to the rooftop. I paused getting a bad feeling about this but took a hold of the rope anyway. I started to climb up the rope.

" _Mummy_ . . ." I pant lightly as I heave my body up the rope. ' _Merlin, old girl. We gotta work out more_.' " _Balloon_!" The rope comes away from the side of the building with me still hanging onto it. ' _Damnit! I really need to start listening to my bad feelings more_.' I cursed to myself as I looked up to see that the rope was hanging down from a barrage balloon. ' _Well, might as well enjoy the ride_.'As the barrage balloon drifts away, placing me high up in the air.

"Woohoo!" I yelled in excitement. I turned around and see the German planes dropping bombs on London. I looked down at my shirt briefly before looking back at the planes. "Okay . . . maybe **NOT** this t-shirt." The planes zoom around me. The planes whizz past me, there was an explosion right below me, and my arms decided that they can't hold on any longer. I lose my grip and fall with a gasping scream. Suddenly, I'm caught in a blue beam and a voice emits from it.

"Okay, okay, I've got you." I frown at the familiar sounding voice.

"Who's got me? Who's got me, and you know . . . how?" I asked slightly scared and surprised.

"I'm just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field." I took a deep breath trying to calm down and trying to keep still.

"Okay." I whispered. "You can do this, Jessa Tyler, just thinking of it as flying . . . without a bloody broom!"

"Oh, and could you switch off your cellphone?" I make a disbelieving noise. "No, seriously — it interferes with my instrument." I fumble for my phone.

"You know, no-one ever believes that." I turn it off.

"Thank you. That's much better."

"Oh, yeah, that's a real load off, that is. I'm hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest, but hey! My mobile phone's off!" I said slightly hysterical. The man laughs.

"Be with you in a moment." I gape, dumbfounded.

"Oh, yeah, leave me hanging!" I yelled before groaning and mentally face palming at the lame line. ' _Jessa, you need more friends then just the Doctor_.'

"Ready for you. Hold tight!"

"To what?!"

"Fair point." I zoom feet first down the tunnel of blue light, letting out a scream. The next moment, I'm being caught by a guy the voice belong too. "I've got you!" I cough a bit. "You're fine, you're just fine. The tractor beam —"

"Jack?" I whispered cutting him off short, he looked at me confused. His bright blue eyes widen in shock as we stared at each other.

"Jessa-Rose?" his voice choked with unshed tears. I let out a watery laugh and wrapped my arms around my little brother's neck, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Jack! Oh, Merlin, Jackson!" I wailed, "Your alive! Your alive!" my whole body shook with full body tremors.

"Shhh, Jessa-Rose. I'm here, I'm here." he cried into my hair. We held on to each other tightly as we cried finally being reunited after twenty-five plus years. I jerk away quickly, remembering that Jack had been gone for over twenty-five years. "Jessa-Rose?" his voice sounded nasally and stuffy because of all the crying we just did.

"Forty-nine years, Jackson. You left me alone for forty-nine years!" I screamed at him, enraged. He had the decency to look ashamed. I pushed him away from me. "You are a total selfish bastard, you know that! Do you even understand what your death did to me?!" He just stared at me remorseful. "I fought Voldemort alone, Jackson. I was terrified and I needed you there, Jack!" I cried in despair.

"I am so sorry, Jessa-Rose." he said in a vulnerable voice. "I know that it won't fix anything but I am so truly, deeply sorry for leaving you alone." I stared at his powerless and defeated frame that shook with shame.

"I don't know if I can ever truly forgive or trust you again," A few tears slipped down my cheeks at his devastated but understanding look, "but, I'm willing to try if you are?" He gave a watery chuckle before scooping me up into his arms. He set me back down and monition for me to take a seat. Sitting right beside me, he takes my hands into his and squeezes them gently.

"So, what happen after I left?" he asked softly, I took a calming breath and began to tell him everything that happen after he went through the Veil. I told him about the search for the horcruxes, defeating Voldemort, about Remus, Tonks, Fred's and others people we knew deaths, my meeting with John, our growing friendship then our blooming relationship, our first date to our marriage day, and then the birth of his nephew, my baby boy, Harry. We laughed and we cried as I told him stories of my Harry and John. I explain to him of the threat of war against the Muggles and how I gave my life up to save and stop them all. In return, he told me of his life and the family he had had. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he placed his on top of mine, we sat there in silent for a few moments just enjoying the other's presence.

"Better now?" I heard Jack whisper, I nodded.

"Yea." I pulled away and turned to look at him. "So, who're you supposed to be, then?"

"Captain Jack Harkness. 133 Squadron Royal Airforce - American Volunteer." he hand me what would be an ID card. I looked at it, seeing just a blank piece of paper then raised an eyebrow at him.

"Liar." he paused, "This is psychic paper. Its suppose to tell anyone whatever you want it to tell them."

"How do you know?" he asked sitting back, caught out.

"Two things. One - I have a friend who uses this all the time."

"Ah."

"And two - it doesn't work on me, apparently I'm too smart for it." Jack leans forward to take it back.

"Well, that's useful then." I hand it back to him. He reads it.

"Hmmm, have a bit of a crush, dear sister?" my face went bright red in embarrassment.

"Shut up, Jackson!" I huffed as he let out a loud laugh.

"So, your a Time Agent?" I looked at him for a moment, still not fully able to trust him.

"Yes, I am." I lied, he nodded as he took my hands again and looked them over. They were still slightly rope burned but it didn't hurt as much as it did earlier. He took his scarf off and wraps it around my hands.

"I've been expecting one of you guys to show up, didn't expect it to be my own twin sister but beggars can't be choosers. Do you often travel by balloon?" I smiled at his teasing.

"Oh, you know, if not by broom might as well be by balloon." he snorted at that, "What're you doing?"

"Try to keep still." He finished binding my hands and leans over me to switch a button over my head. There was a bleeping sound and what looked like tiny golden fireflies appear above the wounds on my hands. "Nanogenes. Sub-atomic robots. The air in here's full of them." I looked at them in amazement as they worked their magic on the burns. Jack switches the button again, and they disappear. "They just repaired three layers of your skin." He takes the scarf off my wrists.

"Well, tell them thanks!" I laughed. Jack gets up, smiling.

"We'll get down to business." I looked after him, confused.

"Business?" He was now holding a bottle of champagne.

"Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" Holding my gaze, he presses a button and steps to the roof lowering themselves into the spaceship. Jack starts to go up the stairs. "Bring up the glasses." I took one of the wine glasses and followed after him. I smirked at seeing that he parked right next to Big Ben.

"Well, no need for an alarm clock." Jack chuckles, and then takes a device out of his pocket. He flicks a switch and his spaceship appears under our feet. "Okay, invisible spaceship tethered up to Big Ben for some reason."

"First rule of active camouflage. Park somewhere you'll remember." I shrugged, it made sense I guess. He pops the cork out of the bottle with a loud bang. We laugh a bit and I hand Jack his glass. He looked at me confused at the only glass.

"I don't drink." I told him, he nodded still a little confused as he pour himself a glass. We sat on top of the spaceship, Jack drinking his champagne. I stood up to leave to go find the Doctor. "You know, it's getting a bit late. I should really be getting back."

"We're discussing business." I smiled at him.

"This isn't business, this is champagne." I pointed to the half empty bottle that he drank by himself.

"I try never to discuss business with a clear head." he stands and walks towards me. "Are you travelling alone? Are you authorised to negotiate with me?"

"What would I be negotiating?" I asked him, curious.

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy. Are you in power to make payment?" I stared at him for a moment.

"I need to talk to my companion."

"Companion?"

"Yes, I should really be getting back to him." I stated.

"Him?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have the time?" I laughed. He clears his throat, takes the device out of his pocket and flicks a switch. Big Ben chimes right next to us.

"Okay, that was flash." I giggled to him. He smiles and pulls me to him, tucking me under his chin.

"So, when you say 'companion' just how worried should I be?" I pulled back a bit to look up at him.

"Okay, we're standing in midair . . ."

"Mm-hm."

"On a spaceship, during a German air raid. Do you really think now's a good time to be going all over-protective brother on me?" Jack tilted his head, pretending to think about it.

"Perhaps not." I shook my head in exasperation at him.

"Still like Glenn Miller?" I nodded and he points the device over his shoulder, and 'Moonlight Serenade' plays. We began to slow dance like we did at the Yule ball during our Fourth year.

"It's 1941. The height of the London Blitz. The height of the German Bombing Campaign. And something else has fallen on London - a fully equipped Chula Warship. The last one in existence . . ." I winced slight at the last line he said as I closed my eyes, and leaned my head on his shoulder. ". . . armed to the teeth." he draws back slightly. "And I know where it is. Because I parked it." I laughed.

"If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is gonna fall on it and destroy it forever." he looks at me, suddenly more serious. "That's the deadline. That's the deal. And now, shall we discuss payment." I stared at him a bit hesitant.

"I think we should find my companion, he usually handles the business." I pulled away from him. I looked around before glancing back at him, "And how're we gonna do that?"

"Easy. I'll do a scan for alien tech." He begins the scan using a device on his wrist.

"Huh, look at that. My little brother is more a **PROFESSIONAL** then a 900 year old Time Lord." I muttered to myself. Jack monition at me to follow him, he lead us to a hospital. We walked down the halls looking for the Doctor. "Hello?" I called out.

"Hello?" Jack copied me as he looked in other rooms. The Doctor emerges into the corridor meeting up with us, as we came from the other way. "Good evening. Hope I'm not interrupting - Jack Harkness." he shakes the Doctor's hand. "I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

"He knows. I had to tell him about us being Time Agents." I told the Doctor so he would be in on my lie. The Doctor nods.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mr. Spock." Jack pats the Doctor heartily on the shoulder, and walks off, leaving the Doctor looking rather bemused.

"Mr. Spock?" he said to me with a raised eyebrow.

"What was I supposed to say, you don't have a name! Don't you ever get tired of 'Doctor'? Doctor who?" I shrugged to him deciding not to tell him that Jack was my lost little brother.

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz, it's not a good time for a stroll." I started to walk down the hall.

"Who's strolling? I went by barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid." The Doctor followed after me.

"What?!" I looked back at him.

"Listen, what's a Chula warship?" I asked him. The Doctor stops walking, making me pause.

"Chula?" I nodded slight and watched as the Doctor face went from shock to anger in a flash. He stormed passed me and into the ward, I quickly followed after him. I saw Jack was scanning one of the bodies in the ward.

"This just isn't possible. How could this happen?" he asked us as we walked in.

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked him instead.

"What?" He shot me a look of light betrayal which cause me to look away from him.

"He said it was a warship. He stole it. Parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's gonna fall on it - unless **WE** make him an offer." I told the Doctor what Jack had told me.

"What kind of warship?" he asked.

"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this!" Jack ground out, agitated.

"This started at the bomb site. it's got **EVERYTHING** to do with it. What kind of warship?" The Doctor pushed.

"An ambulance!" he turn on his wrist device, "Look." A hologram of the warship appeared above the device. "That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle - love the retro look, by the way, nice panels - threw you the bait —"

"Bait?" I asked.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk."

"You said it was a **WAR** ship." he rolled his eyes at me.

"They have ambulances in wars." he walks away from us, annoyed. "It was a con. I was conning you - that's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents but you're not, are you?"

"Just a couple of more free-lancers." I sent him a disappointing look before turning to the Doctor.

"Ahh . . . should've known. The way you guys are blending in with the local colour - I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?" The Doctor looked uncomfortably at his clothes while I glared at my brother, which he returned. "Anyway . . . whatever's happening here has got **NOTHING** to do with that ship."

"What **IS** happening here, Doctor?" I asked him as I looked around at the beds with people in them.

"Human DNA's being rewritten . . . by an idiot." I looked at him confused.

"What d'you mean?"

"I dunno - some kind of virus. It's converting human beings into these things." he nods at the bodies. "But why? What's the point?" I walk over and bend over one of the bodies, examining it - when suddenly, it sits up. All of the others do the same. I jump backwards and began to move back over to the Doctor. They all started to say "mummy?" repeatedly.

"What's happening?" I asked the Doctor a bit frighten.

"I don't know." He answered as the gas-mask people all get out of bed. They began to enclose on us. "Don't let them touch you."

"What happens if they touch you?"

"You're looking at it." they all were chanting, 'mummy' as they backed the three of us against the wall, until they surrounded us.


	11. The Doctor Dances

We watched as the gas-masked people kept surrounding us, the Doctor pushed me behind him as he moved in front of Jack and I. I unknowingly grabbed a fist full of the back of the Doctor's leather jacket while peeking over his shoulder to see what he was going to do.

"Go to your room." he said as though addressing a disobedient child. I stared incredulous at the back of his head, but the gas-mask people hesitate. "Go to your room!" They cocked their heads to one side. Jack and I shared a confused look before going back to the weirdness going on in front of us. "I mean it! I am very, very angry with you. I am very, **VERY** cross! Go - to - your - **ROOM**!" The Doctor points violently in no particular direction, and miraculously, all of the gas-mask people turn meekly away. The patients and staff in the hospital simply climb back into their beds. I stared on dumbfounded as the Doctor lets out a sigh of relief.

"I'm really glad that worked. Those would've been **TERRIBLE** last words." I blinked for a second before shoving him out from in front of me.

"You!" I pointed at him while he gave me a sheepish but grinning look. I sighed and shook my head at him, not truly being able to stay mad at him. I walked over and sat by one of the beds, looking at one of the gas-mask people. Jack settles down in the chair next to me. "Those mask are made out of their flesh and bones, aren't they?" I asked him, not bothering to glance at him still a little pissed off at him.

"Yeah, they are." he answered.

"How was your con supposed to work?" the Doctor questioned as he looked over the gas-masks people.

"Simple enough, really. Find some harmless pieces of space-junk . . . let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth. Convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put 50% up front - oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for. Never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con." I looked at him revolted, getting out of my seat and walked over to the Doctor's side.

"Yeah. Perfect." The Doctor had the same revolted look.

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners - Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day." Jack laughs at his own stupid joke while we merely look at him, unimpressed. His laughter dies away. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room. This is what your 'harmless piece of space-junk' did." I stated to him as I swept a hand out towards the gas-mask people.

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter - it was empty." Jack kept to his ideal that is was truly empty. The Doctor looks darkly at him and walks off.

"Jessa." I turned to him.

"We getting out of here?" I asked.

"We're going upstairs." I nodded and followed after him. I hear Jack get up from his seat.

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living - I harmed no-one! I don't know what's happening here, but believe me - I had nothing to do with it." He called after us. The Doctor paused in the doorway and turned to Jack.

"I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's volcano day." A siren goes off in the distance.

"What's that?" I questioned a little confused.

"The all-clear." Jack answered, I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wish." The Doctor leaves the ward making Jack and I follow after him. We looked at each other confused for a moment when we were greeted with an empty hallway. Jack and I shot down the corridor looking for the Doctor.

"Mr. Spock?" Jack calls out, I bit back a giggle for the moment.

"Doctor?" I called as we dashed past a flight of stairs.

"Have you got a blaster?" we heard the Doctor ask, skidding to a halt and backtracking to the flight of stairs where the Doctor was leaning around a banister.

"Sure!" We ran up the stairs and found ourselves standing outside a door.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken." he told us.

"What happened?" The Doctor grinned at me.

"Let's find out." his grin fell off his face as he turned to Jack. "Get it open." Jack grins and points a blaster at the door. The Doctor stands back beside me. I looked to him perplexed.

"What's wrong with your sonic screwdriver?" I whispered.

"Nothing." Jack's blaster cuts a perfectly square hole around the lock of the door and it squeaks open. "Sonic blaster, 51st century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?"

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked, astonished. The Doctor took the blaster from Jack, so I could have a better look at it.

"Once."

"Well, they're gone now. Destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot." he handed the blaster back.

"Like I said - once. There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good." He smiles pleasantly at Jack and enters the room. I go up to Jack and look at the square hole in the door.

"Nice blast pattern." I said to him.

"Digital." he shrugged.

"Squareness gun." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah."

"I like it." I said with a nod and go into the room. Jack laughs and follows after me. The Doctor switches on the light and the room we're in looks like it's been vandalized. The window is broken and there's stuff all over the floor.

"What d'you think?" The Doctor asked us.

" **SOMETHING** got out of here . . ." Jack stated while I wondered around the room.

"Yeah. And?" The Doctor pressed.

"Something powerful. Angry." Jack looked over to the Doctor to see if he was right.

"Powerful and angry." he agreed. I entered a room off the side. The floors and walls are covered with a child's drawings. There were a few toys on the floor and a little bed in the corner.

"The child from the roof." I gasped in shock.

"Well, I suppose this explains 'mummy'." Jack said from behind me. The Doctor plays a tape that was on a table.

"Do you know where you are?" a old male voice asked.

" _Are you my mummy_?" the child from the roof asked in return.

"Are you aware of what's around you? Can you . . . see?" the man asked.

" _Are you my mummy_?" the child asked again.

"What do you want? Do you know —"

" _I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy_?" Every single one of the drawings covering the wall are of the Child's mother.

" _Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy_?" he kept asking.

"Doctor, I've heard this voice before." I turned to him.

"Me too."

" _Mummy_?"

"Always, "are you my mummy?". Like he doesn't know." my voice wavered a bit at that part. Why would anyone do that to such a small little boy.

" _Mummy_?"

"Why doesn't he know?" I choked back my tears as I thought of Harry, wondering if he did the same thing when I left.

" _Are you there, mummy? Mummy_?" The Doctor placed a hand on my shoulder and gave a gently squeeze. " _Mummy? Please, mummy? Mummy?_ " He began to pace around the room.

"Doctor?" I questioned him when I finally calmed down.

"Can you sense it?" he asked us, Jack and I looked at each other confused.

"Sense what?" Jack asked for us.

"Coming out of the walls, can you feel it?"

" _Mummy_?" The Doctor stops to look around at us.

"Funny little human brains, how do you get around in those things?" I rolled my eyes at him as he went back to his pacing.

"When he's stressed, he likes to insult species. Mostly humans." I told Jack.

"Jessa, I'm thinking." he said, still pacing.

"Cuts himself shaving, does half an hour in life forms he's cleverer than . . ." I teased him softly, but of course, he was ignoring it.

"There are these children living rough around the bomb site. They come out during air-raids looking for food." The Doctor mumbled.

" _Mummy, please_?"

"Suppose they were there when this thing - whatever it was - landed?" The Doctor asked.

"It was a med-ship. It was harmless." Jack replied irritated with the Doctor.

"Yes, you keep saying. 'Harmless'. Suppose one of them was affected - altered?" I looked at the Doctor.

"Altered?" I questioned a little worried.

" _I'm here_!" We all ignored the tape.

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid, and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will soon." he let out a small laugh, a smile spreading across his lips. "It's got the power of a god, and I just sent it to its room." There was a loud, crackling noise filling the room.

"Doctor . . ." I looked up at him, a bit scared.

"I'm here. Can't you see me?"

"What's that noise?" I dared to ask him.

"End of the tape. It ran out about 30 seconds ago." he said, smile fading.

" _I'm here, now. Can't you see me_?"

"I sent it to it's room. **THIS** is its room." He spins around and the Child is standing by the tape machine.

" _Are you my mummy_?" it cocks his head on one side, considering me. "Mummy?" I backed up a little.

"Doctor?" I moved away a bit more as the Child moves a bit.

"Okay . . . on my signal . . . make for the door. **NOW**!" Jack violently produces a banana and points it threateningly at the Child. I would of laughed at the scene, if I wasn't so terrified right now. The Doctor grins and produces Jack's sonic blaster, blasting a square hole in the wall.

"Go! Now! Don't drop the banana!" He hopped through the hole in the wall with Jack and I following.

"Why Not?!" Jack exclaimed perplexed.

"Good source of potassium!" that time I did let out a chuckle. We found ourselves back in a corridor. The Child approaches us from inside the room.

"Give me that!" Jack grabbed his sonic blaster off the Doctor.

" _Are you my mummy_?" Jack points the blaster at the wall, and it rebuilds itself, blocking the Child out.

"Digital rewind." he tosses the banana back to the Doctor, "Nice switch."

"It's from the Groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate." The Doctor pocketed the banana.I looked at him, amused.

"There's really a banana grove in a place called Villengard and you did that?" I start to laugh as the Doctor gave me an ecstatic grin.

"Bananas are good." he told me simply, making me laugh more. Suddenly there's a frighteningly loud thump from the other side of the wall, making a crack in it.

"Doctor!" I shrieked in shock.

"Come on!" He began to drag me down the stairs and down another corridor, before we encountered all of the patients bursting out of the ward calling 'mummy'. We hastily backtrack, but we found the gas-mask people coming from that direction too. We found ourselves back at the point where we started, where the Child was breaking through the wall. "It's keeping us here so it can get at us."

"Really? I had no idea, Doctor." I sassed to him, he gave me an frustrated look which made me look down ashamed.

"It's controlling them?" Jack ask as he points the blaster in each direction in term.

"It **IS** them. It's every living thing in this hospital." The Doctor pushed me slightly behind him, I frowned at him and moved back to his side. He just sighed as I crossed my arms basically daring him to try and move me again.

"Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?" The Doctor took out the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, I watched him confused as he glances at it then at me quickly before looking at Jack; who was not paying us any attention as he brandished his sonic device at the gas-mask people. He looked back down at his screwdriver with a unreadable look.

"A sonic, er . . . oh, never mind." He mumbled in a depressed like voice if I was corrected which had me worried.

"What?" Jack asked as the Doctor turned to face the other group of gas-mask people, switching on his sonic screwdriver.

"It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that." He grumbled.

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?" Jack pressed, I was slowly beginning to understand why the Doctor didn't what to tell Jack about the sonic screwdriver.

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am sonic-up!" The Doctor was jealous about Jack, for what reason I had no idea but I think he was trying to impress me. I blushed a little in embarrassment but also made me hopeful.

"A sonic **WHAT**?!" The Doctor turned his head to look at Jack with a irritated look.

" **SCREWDRIVER**!" Jack spins around. At that moment, the Child finally manages to punch through the wall. He begins to climb through the hole. I grab onto Jack's wrist and make him point his blaster at the floor.

"Going down!" I blast a hole in the floor. We all fall in a messy heap on the floor of the ward below. Jack hurriedly actives the digital rewind, closing the hole so we can't be followed. I look down, the Doctor and mine's face were inches apart from each other. "Doctor, are you okay?" my voice suddenly quite and cheeks feeling hot.

"Could've used a warning . . .!" I frowned at him, irritated. I rolled my eyes at him and looked away.

"The gratitude." I snarked as we get up and brushed ourselves off.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack asked the Doctor with a incredible look.

"I do!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Light!" I said looking around for some, ignoring the boys.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks "oohoo, this could be a little more sonic"?" Jack sassed, I smirked realizing that's exactly what I said when the Doctor told me about the screwdriver.

"I said the same thing, Jack." Jack grinned at me.

"Great minds think like." he winked at me making me laugh.

"You've never been bored." The Doctor mumble indignantly.

"There's gotta be a light switch!" I said to calm the Doctor down.

"Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" I finally find a switch and turn the lights on. All the gas-mask people lying in the beds sit up and start calling 'mummy'.

"Door." Jack stated, we rushed to the door as the patient start getting out of bed. Finding it locked, Jack tries to blast it open but his blaster doesn't work. "Damn it!" He steps back, allowing the Doctor to use his sonic screwdriver instead. He whacks the sonic blaster angrily. "It's the special features, they really drain the battery."

"The battery?!" I exclaimed to my little brother, he gave me a sheepish look. The Doctor opens the door and we dash through it. "That's so **LAME**." The Doctor slams the door shut behind them and locks it with his sonic screwdriver.

"I was gonna send for another one, but **SOMEBODY'S** gonna blow up the factory." Jack runs to the window, then glares at the Doctor.

"Oh, I know - first day I met him, he blew my job up. That's practically how he communicates." I told him.

"Okay, that door should hold it for a bit." The Doctor said. Jack spun to the Doctor, a bit angry.

"The door?! The **WALL** didn't stop it!" he exclaimed.

"Well, it's gotta **FIND** us first! Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!" The Doctor began to search the room.

"Well, I've got a banana, and at a pinch you could put up some shelves." Jack snarked under his breath, but I heard him. I rammed my elbow into his ribs making him grunt in pain.

"Window —" The Doctor went over to them.

"Barred, sheer drop outside. Seven stories." Jack moaned out, I rolled my eyes at his dramatics.

"There's no other exit, Doctor." I said to him, "I can't apparite us without the risk of splinching one of us."

"Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?' Jack settled comfortably into a chair. I shook my head at him, disapprovingly. The Doctor turned and eyes Jack for a moment, then looks at me.

"So, where'd you pick this one up, then?" he asked me.

"Doctor." I gave him a warning look.

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon. So, technically I found her." I looked away slightly uncomfortable at the fact my little brother had to save me.

"Okay, one, we want to get out of here. Two, we **CAN'T** get out of here. Have I missed anything?" I look in Jack's direction to stop him from making a smart arse comment but found an empty chair.

"That bastard! He disappeared!" I growled in fury. The Doctor spins around to see Jack's empty chair. The Doctor went and sat in the chair Jack had vacant. I approach him, leaning a hand on the back of his chair. "I am so punching that boy in the face when we see him again." The Doctor peers up at me, giving me a confused look.

"What makes you think we'll see him again?" he asked.

"Just a feeling." I shrugged. The Doctor nodded when an old radio springs to life and Jack's voice transmits through it.

[ _Jessa-Rose? Doctor? Can you hear me_?] We both hurry over to the radio, the Doctor picking it up. [ _I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you_.] I narrowed my eyes not totally believing him. The Doctor, in some confusion, holds the wires that have been ripped out of the radio. [ _It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it - hang in there_.]

[How're you speaking to us?] The Doctor asked.

[ _Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grille_.]

[Now there's a coincidence.] I raised an eyebrow at the Doctor.

[ _What is_?]

[The Child can Om-Com too.] My other eyebrow shot up to meet the other.

"It can?" I asked him in shock.

"Anything with a speaker grille. Even the TARDIS phone." He nods.

"What, you mean the Child can phone us?" I was absolutely astonished.

[ _And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to fiiiiind you_.] The Child voice singsong through the radio.

[ _Doctor, can you hear that?_ ]

[Loud and clear.]

"That was the highest level of creepiness that child could get." I shudder.

[ _I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do_.]

[ _Coming to find you, mummy!_ ]

[ _Remember this one, Jessa-Rose?_ ] Suddenly 'Moonlight Serenade' plays through the radio. I gave the Doctor an uncomfortable look as he turns to look at me questioningly.

"It's our song." I said a little embarrassed cause it truly was our song from the Yule ball during our fourth year. The Doctor nods, but it looked as though he didn't like it. I shift from foot to foot, debating if I should tell him that Jack is my brother. I settle myself in the wheelchair that was in the room and shuffle around in it, bored. The radio was still playing 'Moonlight Serenade'. The buzzing of the sonic screwdriver in the background. I spin the wheelchair around in the Doctor's direction. "What're you doing?"

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete. Loosen the bars." he said as he holds the screwdriver up against the wall near the window.

"You don't think he's coming back, do you?" I said a little hurt at the fact that the man I had a light crush on, had little faith in my brother though he had no idea that this Jack was my Jack.

"Wouldn't bet my life." I turn away in case he turned around to look at me, so he wouldn't see my devastated look.

"Why don't you trust him?" I asked wanting to know.

"Why do you?" he asked right back.

"He saved my life." I turned my head slight back to the Doctor, ' _Because he's my younger twin brother._ ' I added to myself. The Doctor didn't answer, I stare at him for a moment. "I trust him 'cos he's like you. Except with dating and dancing." I taunted to get him to look at me. He shot me a look. "What?"

"You just assume I'm . . ."

"What?" I repeated.

"You just assume that I don't . . . dance." he said in a vulnerable voice.

"What, are you telling me you **DO** . . . dance?" I asked grinning, glad that he was loosening up.

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume that at some point I've **DANCED**." I grin even more.

"You?!" I exclaimed teasingly.

"Problem?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't the universe implode or something if you . . . dance?" I giggled at his exaggerated eye roll.

"Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast." he said off-handedly. Still grinning, I stop stifling around in my wheelchair and get up to turn the music up. The Doctor looks around, completely wrong-footed. I walk slowly towards the Doctor, if Rose was here she would of said that my walk had been flirtatious but that's just her. He looks determinedly back to the wall. I hold my hand out to him.

"You've got moves?" He looks back at me. "Show me your moves."

"Jessamine, I'm trying to resonate concrete." he tried to make an excuse.

"Jack'll be back, he'll get us out. So come on - the world doesn't end 'cos the Doctor dances." I said not lowering my hand. The Doctor snaps off his sonic screwdriver, replaces it in his jacket pocket and steps away from the window towards me, an odd expression on his face. He stands in front of me for a moment, I began to get nervous. ' _Where's this going to go?_ ' He takes my hands, I stare up at him almost apprehensively. He turns my hands over and looks at them.

"Barrage balloon?" he asked. I stared at him confused.

"What?" I said completely lost.

"You were hanging from a barrage ballon." he turns my hands over.

"Yeah. About two minutes after you left. Thousands of feet above London - middle of a German air-raid - Union Jack **ALL** over my chest." The Doctor raises his eyebrows.

"I've travelled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy-friendly." He goes back to examining my hands.

"Is this you dancing? 'Cos I've got notes." I said trying to change the subject.

"Hanging from a rope a thousand feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise." He shows me my own hands.

"I know. Captain Jack fixed me up, but my magic would have too by now." I told him to see what kind of reaction I would get from calling Jack a 'captain'.

"Oh, we're calling him 'Captain Jack' now, are we?" He glares a bit.

"Well, his name's Jack and he's a captain." I shrugged nonchalantly.

"He's not really a captain, Jessamine." The Doctor smiled in a self-satisfied sort of way.

"D'you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain envy." The Doctor half nods, not denying it. I gave him a luminous smile as he takes my hands and we begin to dance. "You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them."

"If ever he was a captain, he's been defrocked." We were now in a rather intimate proximity.

"Yeah? Shame." I tilted my head, smiling up at him.

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock." we jump apart at the sound of Jack's voice. We looked up in surprise, somehow standing in Jack's ship. "Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nab-com offline to override the teleport security."

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is." the Doctor grumbled a bit moody.

"Oh, I do. She was **GORGEOUS**." I smiled and shook my head. "Like I told her - be back in five minutes." He ducks into a compartment underneath the console.

"This is a Chula ship." The Doctor said as he looked around.

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only this on **IS** dangerous." Jack called up to us. The Doctor snaps his fingers, and his hand is instantly surrounded by those nanogenes.

"That's what fixed my hands up. Jack called 'em nanogenes." I said as I watched them heal his hand in awe.

"Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed - all better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws." I beamed as the Doctor banished the nanogenes with a wave of his hand and turns to Jack. "Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk."

"As soon as I get the nab-com back online." Jack griped as though he was being nagged. The Doctor looks at me mildly annoyed. "Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were . . ." Jack gestures at the two of us, ". . . doing."

"We were talking about dancing!" The Doctor exclaimed innocently.

"It didn't look like talking." Jack shot me a teasing look.

"Didn't feel like dancing." I smirked at the choking sound Jack started to make. The Doctor looks at me, rather naively making me blush slightly. Moving over to Jack, I sat down beside him and began to talk with him. The Doctor sat some way behind me, not taking part in the conversation.

"So, you used to **BE** a Time Agent and now you're trying to con them?" I asked him.

"If it makes me sound any better, it's not for the money." he fiddled with the controls.

"For what then?" I tilted my head, confused.

"Woke up one day when I was working for them - found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back." I stared at him in shock.

"They stole your memories?" my voice taking on a worried tone. Jack looked my way.

"Two years of my life. No idea what I did. Your friend over there doesn't trust me. And for all I know . . . he's right not to." I opened my mouth to protest but the computer bleeps. "Okay, we're good to go. Crash site?" Jack flew the ship to the crash site. We walked over to the rail station near the bomb site and peered over the barbed wire. "There it is." we spot a soldier pacing up and down the station. "Ay, they've got Algy on duty. Must be important."

"We've gotta get past." the Doctor told him. I could tell from how Jack had said the man's name, he knew the man pretty well if I say so myself.

"Jack, go distract the guard." Jack sends me a mock salut.

"On it, Cap." He goes off and the Doctor looks at me.

"What?" I asked him.

"How did you?" he pointed towards Jack. I stared at him for a moment.

"Just a feeling." I shrugged and looked back towards Jack.

"You've been having lots of those feelings lately." I ignore the Doctor's stare. "He's from the 51st century." I turned to him with an raised eyebrow.

"So?"

"He's a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing." I chuckled a bit.

"Oh, I know." I giggled at the fact that the Doctor was trying to explain to me that Jack would have sex with anything that walked. Jack jumps down onto the rail track on the bomb site where his friend was pacing.

"Hey, tiger! How's it hanging?" Algy turns to Jack. He looked inquisitive.

"Mummy?" he asked.

"Algy, old sport, it's me." Jack said confused, I jumped down to the rail and moved towards him, the Doctor tried to stop me but I dodged him.

"Mummy?" I reached Jack and pulled on his arm a bit.

"It's me, Jack." his smile began to fade.

"Jackie." I whispered to him softly as I tried to pull him back from his friend.

"Jack?" the man cocked his head to one side, observing Jack and I with child-like curiosity. "Are you my . . . mummy?" And he begins to cough, falling to his knees. Before our very eyes, his face transforms into a gas-mask. We looked on horror-struck. The other soldiers begin to hurry over.

"Stay back!" I heard the Doctor yelled.

"You men! Stay away!" Jack called to them while the Doctor rushed over to us. I stare down at at the lifeless form in shock.

"The effect's become air-borne. Accelerating." The Doctor said from beside me.

"What's keeping **US** safe?" I asked looking up at him.

"Nothing." the air-raid siren sounds.

"Ah, here they come again." Jack said looking up.

"All we need. Didn't you say a bomb was gonna land . . . **HERE**?" I asked him, he nods. Suddenly we heard someone in the background singing.

"Never mind about that. If the contaminants air-borne now, there's hours left." The Doctor started to look around.

"For what?" Jack asked.

"'Til nothing. 'Til forever. For the entire human race. And can anyone else hear singing?" We kept looking around for the source. I pointed towards the shed.

"Doctor!" We raced over to the shed. The Doctor opens the door and pokes his head. He walks inside the shed while Jack and I watch from the doorway. There was a younger girl handcuffed to a table in the shed, singing 'rock-a-by baby'. The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket. Flicking it on and begin to unlock her handcuffs. The handcuffs snap open, the girl stands and we all leave the shed. We go back to the bomb site, and the Doctor and Jack uncover the Chula med-ship, which had a tarpaulin over it, hiding it from view. The girl and I watch from the sideline.

"You see? Just an ambulance." Jack said to the Doctor.

"That's an ambulance?" the girl beside me whispered confused.

"It's hard to explain, but it's from another world." I told her, she looked me incredulously.

"They've been trying to get in." Jack said as he looked at the controls.

"Of **COURSE** they have." Jack began to enter a code. "They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon. What're you doing?"

"Well, the sooner you se this thing is empty, the sooner you'll see I had nothing to do with it." The controls exploded with sparks, making us all jump backwards. An alarm goes off. "Didn't happen last time."

"It hadn't crashed last time. They're the emergency protocols." The Doctor told him.

"Doctor, what **IS** that?" I pointed to the red light on the control panel flashing. "Doctor!" the gates at the other side of the bomb site started shaking.

"Captain, secure those gates!" The Doctor yelled to Jack.

"Why?" Jack questioned.

"Just do it!" he obeys. The Doctor turns to the girl. "Nancy, how'd you get in here?"

"I cut the wire." she told him.

"Show Jessa." he tossed his sonic screwdriver to me. "Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty eight D."

"What?" I asked startled.

"Reattaches barbed wire. Go!" we get up just as Jack slams the gate shut. Nancy shows me to the fence she cuts and I get to work with the screwdriver. While I work on reattaching the barb wire, Nancy holds the two ends together as I fuse them. When we finished one, we started on another.

"Who are you? Who are any of you?" Nancy asked.

"You'd never believe me if I told you." I mumbled to her.

"You just told me that was an ambulance from another world. There are people running around with gas-mask heads calling for their mummies, and the sky's full of Germans dropping bombs on me. Tell me. Do you think there's anything left I couldn't believe?" I look at and decided to get to the point.

"We're time travelers from the future." She gave me a look then looked back to the wire.

"Mad, you are."

"We have a time travel machine, seriously." I looked at her.

"It's not that. All right - you've got a time travel machine. I believe ya. Believe anything, me." she looked up at the sky. "But what future?" Explosions sound off in mid-air. Planes soar around, dropping bombs.

"Nancy, this isn't the end. I know how it looks. But it's not the end of the world or anything . . ." I said having followed her gaze.

"How can you say that? **LOOK** at it." she said.

"Listen to me. I was **BORN** in this city. I'm from here, in like, 50 years time." I told her.

"From here?" she asked shocked.

"I'm a Londoner. From your future." I smiled encouragingly.

"But . . . but you're not . . ." she stared at me in shock.

"What?" I asked, tilting my head.

"German."

"Nancy, the Germans don't come here. They don't win." Nancy furrows her brow. "Don't tell anyone I told you so, but do you know what? **YOU** win."

"We win?" I nod, smiling. Nancy half laughed, obviously finding this unbelievably good news.

"Come on!" I said and we jumped to our feet and head back to the Doctor and Jack. Just as we join them, Jack has the hatch of the med-ship open.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops? Jessa?" The Doctor asked me.

"I don't know." I shrugged.

"Yes, you do." he mimes summoning the nanogenes.

"Nanogenes!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"It wasn't empty, Captain. There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species." The Doctor said to Jack. I paled and looked towards my little brother.

"Oh, God." He's ashen and shaken, when he finally gets it.

"Getting it now, are we? When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night and wearing a gas-mask." The Doctor said. I moved towards Jack and placed a comforting hand on his arm. He took a hold of my hand in his for strength.

"And they brought the child back to life." I said softly.

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem, though - these nanogenes - they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like." We were listening to him intently. "All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do, they patch it up. Can't tell what's gas-mask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly - off they go, work to be done. 'Cos you see NOW they THINK they know what people should look like and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire Human Race is gonna be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and **NOTHING** in the world can stop it!" His voice had risen almost to a shout. Jack was abashed, shaken.

"I didn't know." he said defiantly. The Doctor fixes fixed him with a cold stare for a few seconds, and then goes back to examining the med-ship, starting work with his sonic screwdriver Nancy stares into the distance, beyond the fence. The gas-mask people had arrived, still calling 'mummy'.

"Jessa?" She said scared. I rushed over to Nancy's side, following her gaze. The gas-mask people stumble towards us over the rail-track. They were still quite a distance away, but still too close. I rushed back to the med-ship, and look again at the flashing red light on the control panel.

"It's bringing them here, isn't it?" I asked the Doctor.

"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol." he shrugged.

"But they aren't troops."

"They are now. This is a battle-field ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up - they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you."

"That's why the Child's so strong." I look back towards the gas-mask people.

"It's fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four year old - looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them." The gas-mask people surrounded the fence. The four of us looked around at them nervously.

"Why don't they attack?" Jack asked.

"Good little soldiers. Waiting for their commander." The Doctor told him.

"The child?" Jack raised an eyebrow at him, arms crossed.

"Jamie." Jack and I turn to Nancy, confused.

"What?" We asked in unison.

"Not 'the child'. Jamie." She glared at us. I stared at her, thinking.

"So, how long until the bomb falls?" I asked Jack without looking away from Nancy.

"Any second." he said.

"What's the matter, Captain? Bit close to the volcano for you?" The Doctor sneered at Jack. I ignored them and moved closer to Nancy.

"He's just a little boy." She whispered to me. I looked at her with understanding and placed an arm around her shoulder.

"I know." I said to her, softly.

"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy." Her voice wavered.

"I know. There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can." I brought her in. Tears welled in her eyes.

"It's my fault." her voice broke a little. The Doctor turn to us.

"No." He shook his head.

"It is. It's all my fault." I looked at the Doctor, trying to get him to understand what she was trying to tell us.

"How can it be your —" he stated out gently then suddenly breaks off. He spins around, looking at all the gas-mask people positioned behind the fence, calling for their mummy and then back at Nancy, who was now sobbing uncontrollably. "Nancy, what age are you? Twenty? Twenty-one? Older than you look, yes?" A bomb lands nearby. Jack and I flinch.

"Doctor - that bomb. We've got seconds." Another lands.

"You can teleport us out." I asked Jack. The Doctor was paying Jack and I no attention, his eyes fixed on on Nancy.

"Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Gonna take too long to override the protocols." I looked at him feeling abandoned again.

"So it's volcano day. Do what you've got to do." The Doctor told Jack, his eyes still fixed on Nancy.

"Jack?" My glared at him in betrayed. He looked at me ashamed and apologetically. Making his decision, he teleports himself out. I bit my lip to hold back my angry sob and looked towards the Doctor.

"How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway." Nancy, still sobbing, glances up at him and then away again, shame faced. "He's not your brother, is he?" Nancy shakes her head, tearful. "A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied." Nancy nods, tears streaming down her face. "You even lied to him." The gates swing open. The Child stands at the forefront of an army of gas-mask people, ready to charge.

" _Are you my mummy_?" he asked. I turned to Nancy and placed both of my hands on her shoulder, making her look at me.

"He's gonna keep asking, Nancy. He's never gonna stop. Tell him." No answer. The gas-mask people begin to walk forward. "Nancy . . . the future of the human race is in your hands. Trust us . . . and tell him." Nancy sniffs, still tearful. The Child approaches us.

" _Are you my mummy_?" I give Nancy a gentle push in the direction of the Child. " _Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?_ "

"Yes." she whispered. "Yes. I **AM** your mummy." she said in a stronger voice. She faces him. The Child walks slowly forward.

" _Mummy_?"

"I'm here."

" _Are you my mummy_?"

"I'm here." she kneels before him.

" _Are you my mummy_?"

"Yes." She whispered.

"He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left." The Doctor whispered to me. I kept watching Nancy and her son and shook my head slightly at him. Nancy looks at her little boy.

"I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry." She said tearfully and sincere.

"No, there's enough left. All he needs . . ." She takes him into her arms, no longer caring what will happen which made me smile. The nanogenes surround them, making them glow with a golden light. ". . . is a mother's hug."

"I am so, so sorry." Nancy, still hugging her little boy, has her eyes closed and was stroking his hair. We stare intently at the two of them surrounded by the nanogenes, apprehensive and excited.

"Come on, please. Come on, you **CLEVER** little nanogenes - figure it out! The mother. She's the mother! There's gotta be enough information, figure it out!" The Doctor exclaimed. I looked over at him with gleaming eyes.

"They're recognizing the same DNA!" I said in glee. Nancy falls away from the child to the ground, as the nanogenes disappear. The Doctor and I rushed over, the Doctor stares down at the little boy.

"Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one." He reaches out to the gas-mask and removes it, revealing a perfectly ordinary, very sweet little boy underneath. Nancy and I stare in delighted wonder and the Doctor laughs ecstatically. He lifts the little boy into the air, swinging him around. "Ah-ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years 'till pop music - you're gonna love it." He hugs Jamie, laughing.

"What happened?" Nancy asked in wonder.

"The nanogenes recognized the superior information - the parent DNA. They didn't change **YOU** because **YOU** changed them! Haha!" he plonks Jamie down in front of her. "Mother knows best!"

"Jamie . . .!" she exclaimed crying with happiness and brought her boy back into her arms. A bombs lands nearby. I look towards the Doctor.

"The bomb, Doctor." I moved to stand beside him.

"Taken care of it." I stared at him confused.

"How?"

"Psychology!" he gestures to Nancy and Jamie. I look up and watch as the bomb plummets towards us and then suddenly its snatched out of the air by a blue forcefield. A moment later, Jack appears hovering in the tunnel of light. He calls down to us.

"Doctor!"

"Good lad!"

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long." Jack told him.

"Change of plan - don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it? Safely as you can?" I stare at the Doctor in horror before looking back to Jack. He gives me a sad smile as a few tears roll down my cheek.

"Jessa-Rose?" his lips trembled a bit.

"Yeah?" My voice broke.

"Goodbye." And he disappears and his ship zooms off. I look down at the ground to hide my tears. I looked up quickly when I heard the Doctor walk a few paces away, staring intently at his hands. He summons the nanogenes. They flutter around his hands.

"What're you doing?" I asked him in a stuffy voice.

"Software patch. Gonna email the upgrade. You want moves, Jessamine? I'll give you moves." And he throws the nanogenes away from him, towards the gas-mask people who are still milling around on the train track. The Doctor gives his widest grin as the gas-mask people fall to the floor, the nanogenes surrounding them. "Everybody lives, Jessamine. Just this once. Everybody lives!" he cheered ecstatically. And the gas-mask people get to their feet, expect they're no longer gas-mask people. They're restored to normal human beings. The Doctor bounds over to a man in a lab coat.

"Doctor Constantine. Who never left his patients. Back on your feet, constant doctor! World doesn't wanna get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it one bit." He gestures to the former gas-mask people milling around. "These are your patients. All better, now!"

"Yes, yes . . . so it seems. They also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?" The doctor asked completely confused.

"Yeah, well, you know - cutbacks. Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably gonna find that they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing of it. Okay?" And with that he rushes back to me. "Right, you lot! Lots to do! Beat the Germans, save the world - don't forget the Welfare State!" The Doctor called over to the group from on top of the Chula med-ship. Constantine smiles. He and his patients begin to walk away, and the Doctor bends down to the control. "Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

"Usually the first line." The Doctor looks at me and grins. I plaster a fake grin on face and smiled back. The Doctor held out his arm to me and I grabbed it in both of mine, holding onto him tight. We walk back to Des and enter, the Doctor chatting away happily.

"The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off - because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help - ditto - all in all, all things considered - fantastic!" I give a small smile at his enthusiasm. I let go of his arm and sit on the stair steps, watching him.

"Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas." I tried to be just as ecstatic but I was too emotionally exhausted.

"Who says I'm not, set-of-oil paint-when-you-were-twelve?" I jerked my head to him startled.

"What?!"

"And everybody lives, Jessamine! Everybody lives!" his arms widen to embrace this. "I need more days like this." he pings a switch on the console. I stare at him then at the doors, bitting my bottom lip.

"Sorceress?" I hear Des ask. Shaking my head, I block her out. ' _I made a promise to Jack and it's going to be fulfilled._ ' I stand up from my spot and move to be behind the Doctor.

"Doctor?" I asked, finally finding my voice after a minute of standing behind him.

"Go on, ask me anything. I'm on **FIRE**!" he kepis working on the console.

"What about Jack?" I saw the Doctor's smile fade, and he carries on working, as though he doesn't want to answer. "Why'd he say goodbye?" I asked even though I knew why, I needed him to say it out loud. He doesn't answer. He stares intently at the console. I walked over till I was right beside him, facing him. "Doctor." he ignores me and continues on working, going around the console. I follow right behind him. "Damn it, Doctor! Look at me!" I yelled, my magic flared causing a switch to spark. The Doctor jumped startled and turned to look at me in shock. "Why, Doctor?" I demanded more then asked. He sighed.

"The bomb is going to explode on his ship . . . with him in it." I suck in a gasping breath, feeling the tears well up in my eyes.

"We have to save him, Doctor." He frowned at me.

"Why should I? After all he's done?" I looked away from him, "Is it because you have feeling for him? 'Cos he doesn't feel that way about you." I shot him a glare, the tears finally showing themselves.

"No, it's more then that, Doctor." He crossed his arms with a glare of his own.

"Oh? And what's that?" I moved to stand right in front of him, tears still pouring down my cheeks.

"He's my brother." The Doctor's eye's slowly widen in shock, "My baby brother, who saved me and made up for his mistakes in the end. And you're going to let him get blown up by a bomb!" I cried at him, "If everybody gets to live, Doctor, that includes Jack." He stares at me, astonished before turning to the console and flipped a few switches. Turning back to me, he turns on a radio and 'Moonlight Serenade' starts to play. He takes a hold of my hands.

"Doctor?" I questioned confused.

"Teach me how to dance?" he asked a little shy.

"But Jack . . ." he nods to the direction of the doors. I look that way and a real smile starts to spread across my lips. Standing just outside the doors looking startled and confused, is Jack. I laugh, "Well, hurry up then!" I call out to him. Jack dashes into Des and I begin to teach the Doctor how to dance, feeling much lighter then before. We waltzed around to 'Moonlight Serenade'. I was trying to teach the Doctor the dance moves with him making okaying noises as we dance. "Right, and turn . . ." he spins me around, getting my arm all twisted. "Okay, okay, try and spin me again, but this time - don't get my arm up my back!" The Doctor looks at me sheepish. "No extra points for a half-nelson." I teased.

"I'm **SURE** I used to know this stuff." He said rather put out before turning to Jack. "Close the door, will you. Your ship's about to blow up - there's gonna be a draft." I grin and lean against one of the pillars. The Doctor flicks a switch and the engines start up. "Welcome to the TARDIS."

"Much bigger on the inside . . ." Jack trailed off in awe.

"You'd better be."

"I think what the Doctor's **TRYING** to say is . . . you may cut in." I walked over to him, we grin at each other and I take his hand to dance with him.

"Jessamine! I've just remembered!" I turned around to the Doctor, startled.

"What?" And 'In The Mood' blares out of the speakers. Lights flash all around the room, and the Doctor moves towards me in time to the music, clicking his fingers.

"I can dance!"

"Actually, Doctor . . . I thought Jack might like this dance." I monition to my brother.

"I'm sure he would, Jessamine. I'm absolutely certain. But who with?" I snigger a bit and hop up the steps to take the Doctor's hands. I'm almost certain he was only pretending he couldn't dance before as he spins me perfectly. I saw Jack watching us with a big smile on his face as we dance around the console room, perfect partners. The Doctor suddenly throws me backwards over his arm, earning a whoop of delight from me. I pull myself up, and sag into his shoulder, giggling.


	12. Boom Town

After we all had our fill of dancing, I took a hold of Jack and dragged him down the hallways to my room. We laughed as we ran, pushing and tripping the other until we reached the door to my room. Jack gave a low whistle once I opened the door.

"Wow." he whispered, slowly walking in. He just stared all around the room, taking it in. He pointed towards my Hogwarts uniforms with a small smile, his eyes a little watery. "I never thought I'd see those again." he choked out, trying to clear his throat. Moving over to him, I wrapped him up in a tight hug which he returned.

"I know what you mean, Jack. I thought the same thing until Des showed me my room." I guided him over to the wall that held most of my pictures as Jessa Potter, letting him look at them; I went over to my art desk taking out some sketch paper and color pencils. I sat down in my chair and started sketching out the gas-mask people, Jack wandered around the room looking at all of the pictures and drawings on the wall.

"Still the artist, I see." He called over his shoulder. I chuckled a bit.

"Yea, I actually went to University for it on a full scholarship." I began to outline the sketch in black ink. "Well, I got a degree to teach art, but never could really find the right place to teach at." I looked over towards him, he was staring at a picture with Hermione, Ron, him and I. We were all dressed up in our wizarding robes and dresses. I got up from my seat and walked over to him.

"Remember when Ron asked Hermione to the Yule ball? I thought he was about to keel over from how red he was." Jack let out a sad laugh.

"Yea, that was the beginning of their slow moving relationship. Did you know that someone actually wanted to ask me to the dance?" He looked at me in shock.

"Really? Why didn't they ask, then?"

"Apparently, they were a bit of afraid of you, little brother. But, you'll never believe who it was though." We walked over to my desk and I transfigured one of my tea cups into a chair for Jack. I smiled in triumph that my magic didn't wore me out this time, but jolted back in shock when it suddenly changed into a black wingback chair. I looked up towards Jack, only to find him with a smug smirk on his face. I made a face at him as he sat down, chuckling.

"So who was it?" I crossed my arms as a silly smile began to form on my lips.

"John." His eyes widen in shock.

"Your husband John? That John?" I nodded, "Holy shit! What year and house was he in?"

"He was a seventh year, and Gryffindor."

"How did we miss that?" I shrugged, a bit confused on it myself.

"Well, we were more focused on not dying then who had a crush on us at the time."

"True." I open up one of the desk drawers and pulled out the folder that held drawings and pictures of John and Harry. I picked out a few and handed them over to Jack. "Cute kid." He monition to the picture of Harry dressed in his father's bow tie and white lab coat. I took the picture out of his hand, my eyes watering just a bit.

"You would of loved them, Jack. They were always laughing and smiling, just so full of life." I placed them back into the folder before putting it back in the drawer.

"So, are you going by Potter again?" he asked.

"No, Tyler." I went back to my drawing of the gas-mask people, erasing the pencil lines before starting to color it in.

"You mean as in Grandma Rose?" I looked at him with a smirk.

"The very same. I'm actually her older adopted sister." I bursted out laughing at Jack's comical look.

"Your kidding me!"

"Nope!" I shook my head while popping the 'p' loudly.

"What's that like? Living with Great grandma Jackie and grandma Rose?" I leaned back and let out a sigh.

"It's got its moments, really. Jackie a real chatter box sometimes and Rose, well, Rose is Rose lets just put it that way." Jack shakes his head in disbelief. "Would you like to meet her? Rose, I mean. Oh! And Mickey, too!"

"Yeah, I would like that." He smiled, I smiled back and hopped out of my seat. I walked towards the door before looking back at Jack, who was looking at me confused still in his chair.

"Well, come on!" I waved at him to follow before racing out of the room with him hot on my heels, yelling at me about cheating. I threw my head back and let out a laugh as we raced into the console room, accidentally running past the Doctor. I hit the brakes but only to be run into by Jack, causing us to fall to the floor in a pile of limbs and groans. I pushed at Jack with my elbow trying to get him to move off me. "Get off, mate! You weigh a ton!" I groan as he shifted to place more of his weight on me.

"Did you just call me fat?" he exclaimed in fake anger. I huffed and sent a sting hex at him, causing him to jump up and away from me with a girly shriek. "That hurt!"

"Big baby." I rolled my eyes, turning over onto my back as I got my breath back. I began to slowly sit up when a hand appeared in front of my face, I looked up to see the Doctor. I smiled up at him and took a hold of his hand. He helped me up before checking me over to make sure I wasn't hurt. "I'm fine." I placed a hand on his arm, then turn to Jack, who was still sitting on the floor pouting. "Such a gentlemen, you could learn a thing or two from him, Jackson." he glared at me before childishly sticking his tongue out at me.

"Whatever, Jessamine." He grumbled as he got himself off the floor. I turned back to the Doctor, who was grinning at us.

"You two need something?" He asked me.

"Yea, can we go to Earth?" he began frown, "Jack just wants to meet Rose and Mickey. That's all, I promise." I hurried to clarify.

"Oh," He looked away, a little sheepish. "Okay then!" He moving to go back to the console, he stopped and turned to me. "Wanna drive?" I grinned at him, eyes bright and raced over to the console.

"Hell yes!" I cheered as Des started to give me directions on how to use the controls. I dig out my mobile and tossed to Jack. "Text Mickey and Rose for me, would you?" He did as directed.

"They're asking where to meet us." I turned to him with a insane grin on my face, my hand on the last switch to use.

"Cardiff!" I flipped the switch, grabbing on tight to the console as Des went flying through the Vortex. I let out a bout of energetic laughter, the Doctor joining me while Jack looked at us terrified. Soon Des landed and we all stood up from our spots. The Doctor looked down towards his watch before glancing over at me.

"It'll take them a bit to arrive, might as well get some work done while we're waiting." I nodded but pouted a little at having to wait and turned to Jack.

"Go wait by the door, please." He sighed but walked over there anyway.

"Your lucky I love you so much, Jessa-Rose." I patted his arm as he passed me.

"Your the best, lil'bro." he waved his hand at me.

"Yeah, yeah." he said as he conjured another wingback chair and sat down in it. I went over to the Doctor to help him out with whatever he was doing.

"Doctor?" I raised an eyebrow inquisitive as he brought out a ladder and a bag of tools, he had a red flashing light strapped to his forehead making him look extremely dorky but a adorable dorky. He set up the ladder and climbs up it.

"Just doing a bit of maintenance work, Jessamine." I nodded slowly before backing away when little sparks went off around him. Moving back over to Jack, I plopped down on his lap making him grunt at the sudden weight.

"You know you can't tell Rose, Mickey, or mum that your my twin brother, right?" he narrowed his eyes at me.

"And why not?" I let out a soft sigh.

"They don't know about, well, my past life as Jessa Potter and it's going to stay that way." I gave him a serious look. He glared at me before looking away with a pout, crossing his arms.

"Fine." he grumbled. I looked at him feeling guilty, I leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"They're just getting use to knowing that aliens are real, let's hold off on telling them that magic is real too for now." he looked at me from the corner of his eye and nodded, a smile quirking his lips. I hopped off his lap and going back to the Doctor but stay a good distance away from the flying sparks. "You better not be hurting Des, Doctor." I warned him.

"I am fine, Sorceress but thank you for your concern." I gave a light pat to the console in response.

"Your very welcome, Des." The Doctor looked over at me and rolled his eyes. "Your just jealous that she likes me more." I sent him a teasing smile. He just grinned and shook his head, suddenly there was a knock on the doors. Jack jumped up from his seat and swung the door open, popping his head out.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked without hesitation, making me roll my eyes.

"What d'you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?" I perked up at hearing Mickey's voice.

"Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever your selling, we're not buying."

"Get out of my way!" I heard Mickey shout before barging past Jack into the TARDIS.

"Don't tell me, this must be Mickey." Jack said while shutting the door, sending a small glare towards Mickey.

"Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?" The Doctor asked cheerily.

"It's Mickey!" he exclaimed, irritated. I moved over to him.

"Don't listen to him, he's winding you up." He looks over to me.

"You look fantastic." We both grin broadly and give each other a big hug.

"Aww, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?" Jack asked the Doctor.

"Buy me a drink first." he shrugged.

"You're such hard work." Jack whined.

"But worth it." I giggled as he grins in an extremely self-satisfied way.

"So, where's Rose, Mickey?" I asked as I turned back to him.

"She went to that restaurant at Cardiff Bay. Said she was hungry and for us to hurry up." he shrugged. I rolled my eyes but shrugged. "But, Jackie told me to give this to you." He pulled out a small book like thing and handed it to me. I looked down at it before turning to the Doctor and grinned, brandishing my passport.

"I can go anywhere now!" he shook his head at me.

"I told you - you don't **NEED** a passport." I crossed my arms and lifted a shoulder.

"Hmmm, maybe, you never know. Better to be over prepared then not at all." I told him, sticking out my tongue, smiling.

"Sounds like your staying, then." I glanced at Micky while an awkward silence fell between us. Mickey smiles, though I could tell it was kind of fake. "So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there —"

"Oi!" The Doctor exclaimed, interrupting Mickey.

"Look in the mirror." I placed a hand over my mouth to hide my grin as the Doctor shakes his head and turns back to his work. "But this guy, I dunno, he's kinda . . ."

"Handsome?" Jack moved over to us, placing an arm around my shoulders.

"More like cheesy." Mickey deadpan.

"Early 21st Century slang - Is cheesy good or bad?" Jack asked sassily.

"Its bad." I retorted.

"But bad means good, isn't that right?" he asked me, looking down at me with his ocean blue eyes.

"No." he pouted at me as we hear the Doctor tottering down the ladder.

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" The Doctor asked, but we all ignore him. "We just stopped off. Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions. The rift was healed back in 1869." The Doctor said to Mickey as he joins our little group.

"Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, 'cos these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed." I picked up from where the Doctor stopped. From the look on his face, Mickey was finding this hard to follow.

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the Human Race —" Jack started.

"But perfect for the TARDIS, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and —" The Doctor interrupted then left off for Jack to pick it back up.

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation —" he gestured to me to finish.

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" I exclaimed with childish glee.

"Into time!" Jack cheered as we high-five.

"And space!" All three of us cheered while the Doctor and I high-five.

"My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?" Mickey asked us while he stared on in disbelief.

"Yeah!" the Doctor nodded.

"Yea!" I giggled while Jack shook my shoulders.

"Yep!" Jack gives Mickey a friendly slap on the cheek. I winced at the pissed look on his face and gently tugged him away from Jack and the Doctor.

"How about we go meet up with Rose before she storms her way down here?" I suggested and pushed Mickey towards the doors. We all bundle out of Des.

"Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got time to kill." The Doctor told us.

"That old lady's staring." Mickey said to me, I turned to look for the old lady and found her giving us a confused look.

"Probably wondering what four people could do inside a small wooden box . . ." Jack pats the Doctor suggestively on the shoulder. The Doctor, Jack, and I snigger.

"What are you captain of? The Innuendo Squad?" Mickey snarked. Jack makes the 'whatever' sign and heads off. "Wait! Er, the TARDIS - we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

"Yeah, what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?" Jack asked.

"Well, first thing, I like how she looks and second, it's called a chameleon circuit. The TARDIS is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, she'd be a statue on a plinth or something. Right, Doctor?" I turned to him. He nodded with a grin on his face.

"Exactly, Jessamine. I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck."

"So it copied a real thing? There actually was police boxes?" Mickey questioned with curiosity.

"Yeah, on the street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside until help came. Like a little prison cell." The Doctor explained.

"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack asked while leaning towards the Doctor.

"I like it! Don't you?" he exclaimed, he glanced towards me.

" **LOVE** it." I patted Des for emphasis.

"But that's what I meant! There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?" Mickey grinned as if he proved a point.

"Ricky, let me tell you something about the Human Race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do they do?" The Doctor puts his hands on Mickey's shoulders. Mickey opens his mouth to reply, but doesn't get a chance. "Walk past it. Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore!" He walks off, linking his hand with mine. The boys follow behind us.

"First, Rose and something to eat, then we can go exploring. Okay?" The Doctor sighed with a pout.

"Fine." I grinned softly and patted him on the arm. We walked to the restaurant, I pointed to Rose, who was waving at us from the table, when the hostess asked. She nodded and lead us to my little sister. Rose jumped out of her seat and bear hugged me, which I happily returned with a lively laugh. We all sat around the table and I introduced Jack and Rose to each other. We began to chat having a thoroughly good time as Jack tells us an exciting story.

"I swear, six feet tall and with **TUSKS** —" He demonstrates how big the thing was.

"You're lying through your teeth!" I exclaimed in laughter.

"I'd've gone bonkers! That's the word - bonkers!" Rose laughed.

"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean **TUSKS**! And it's woken, and it's not happy —"

"How could you not know it was there?" The Doctor asked.

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, **NAKED** —" I made a face as it made a mental picture in my head.

"Naked?!" Rose blushed a bright red.

"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me! And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are **RUNNING**! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say —"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey delivered the punchline. We all roar with laughter.

"That's my line!" Jack laughed.

"I don't **BELIEVE** you, I don't believe a word you say **EVER** , that is so brilliant!" Rose gushed at Jack. I watched as the Doctor glances over at a newspaper an old man nearby is reading, and the smile instantly fades from his face. Unnoticed by the others but me, he stands.

"Doctor?" I whispered to him, a concern look on my face. He pats my shoulder in reassurement.

"Did you ever get your clothes back?" Rose asked.

"No, I just picked him up went right for the ship, full throttle, didn't stop until I hit the space lanes, I was shaking! It was unbelievable, I'm freaking out and by the time I got there I was fifteen light-years away I was like this!" While Jack prattled on, The Doctor pulls the paper out of the old man's hands and looks at the front page. I jumped out of my seat and moved over to him.

"Doctor!" I chastised about to take the paper out of his hands.

"And I was having such a nice day." He said to me, his face troubled. He holds up the paper and shows us the headline - New Mayor, New Cardiff - complete with a picture of Margaret as she objected to the photographer taking her picture. I gently took the paper out of the Doctor's hands and handed it back to the man with a apology. We paid our bill and head to the town hall. Striding purposefully up the steps to the two hall. We enter and go up the steps into the entrance hall as though we own the place. We stop and glance around at our surroundings.

"According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the plant Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven/fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, you go face-to-face, that'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two, Rose and Jessa-Rose, you're Exit Three, Micky Smith, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?" While Jack rattled all this off, the Doctor was eyeing him with mild surprise at his impertinence, I looked on in pride, Rose's face was contorted with the effort of understanding what on earth he's going on about, and Mickey just looks plain confused.

"Excuse me. Who's in charge?" The Doctor asked, sternly.

"Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir." Jack straighten his back and looked forward.

"Right. Here's the plan." The Doctor's voice deepened with authority before he pause and beams a smile at Jack. "Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?"

"Present arms." Jack ordered. We each pull out a mobile phone.

"Ready." the four of us told him.

"Speed dial?" We each press a button with a beep.

"Yup." The Doctor grinned.

"Ready." Rose and I said in unison.

"Check." Mickey nodded.

"See ya in hell." Jack gave us a lazy grin. He walks off to the right, the Doctor, Rose and I head off to different exits straight ahead. I wave to the Doctor as we went a different way. I looked around the hallway we were walking down in silence, Rose turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" I asked her.

"What's up with you and Jack?" I looked at her confused.

"What do you mean?" she rolled her eyes at me.

"You like him, don't you? I thought you were in love with the Doctor?" I grimaced at the mention of having a crush on my brother! I never understood why people always thought my brother and I liked each other, it's just gross.

"No, Jack and I do not like each other that way at all. We have more of a brother and sister type of relationship." I still let out a shudder at the fact.

"So, you do love the Doctor." I froze in my spot and stared at her in shock. Did I love the Doctor? I mean, sure we held hands and hugged little like couples do, but that didn't mean we loved each other. And, yeah, whenever the Doctor smiled or was just purely happy, it felt like I had butterflies fluttering around in my stomach when it was directed at me. That didn't mean anything, did it?

"I don't know." I said uncertain.

[ _Slitheen heading North_.] I jolted out of my haze and looked to our phones with a grin.

[On our way.] We started to run down the hallway.

[ _Over and out_.]

[ _Oh my God_.] We run down the corridor pushing past two secretaries in our hurry, sending paperwork flying.

"Sorry!" I yelled back to them as we continued to run. We burst out of an exit, seeing Margaret turn, ready to make her escape, but Rose and I running towards her, blocking her way. She turns her head the other way, and Jack was running towards her. She runs back the way she came, but the Doctor is on his way down the scaffolding.

"Margaret!" He calls mockingly. But the fourth exit was left uncovered. 'Mickey!' I thought as I tried to change my direction as she belts down it as fast as her fat legs can carry her. We converge at one end.

"Who was on Exit Four?!" Jack exclaimed.

"That was Mickey!" Rose gripped. Mickey burst out of a door, finally catching up.

"Here I am!" he panted.

"Mickey the idiot." The Doctor grumbled.

"Oh, be fair - she's not exactly gonna outrun us, is she?" I asked. Suddenly, she vanishes in a blue light with a small ting.

"She's got a teleport! That's cheating! Now we're **NEVER** gonna get her!" Jack whined.

"Oh, the Doctor's very good with teleports and stop whining, ya big baby." I pushed Jack lightly. The Doctor produced his sonic screwdriver from his jacket pocket, holds it in the air with a dopey grin and clicks it once. Margaret reappears, and this time she's much closer and running straight at us, with a self-satisfied smile on her face. It fades as soon as she realizes where she is, and she grinds to a halt and hurriedly changes direction while pressing her device. She vanishes again, and the Doctor clicks his screwdriver again. She reappears, again running towards us. She turns around, vanishes again, and again, the Doctor clicks his sonic screwdriver causing her to reappear, and this time she's right in front of us, absolutely exhausted and gasping for breath. She gives up.

"I could do this all day." The Doctor said cheerily.

"This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?" She puts her hands up. I frown at her.

"You tried to kill us and destroy this entire planet." I told her, angrily.

"Apart from that." She says dismissively. The Doctor makes her take us to the exhibition room. We enter the room and see a big model in the middle of the room.

"So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family get killed but you teleport out, just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station." The Doctor gestures to the model while Jack and I examine it with interest. "But what for?"

"A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways." she told us.

"And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift." She gave the Doctor a fake look of innocents.

"What rift would that be?" she asked.

"A rift in space and time. If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go schwwwupboom!" Jack said while making the exaggerated sound.

"This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity." The Doctor said, looking down at the model.

"Didn't anyone notice? Isn't there someone in London **CHECKING** this sort of stuff?" I asked him.

"We're in **CARDIFF**. London doesn't care! The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice — oh . . . I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native." I rolled my eyes at her.

"But why would she **DO** that? A great big explosion - she'd only end up killing herself." Mickey questioned.

"She's got a name, you know." She grounded out.

"She's not even a she, she's a . . . thing." Rose said to her.

"Oh, but she's clever . . ." Doctor said while eyeing Margaret. In one swift movement, he pried the middle section off the model and flipped it over, revealing a giant circuit board underneath. "Fantastic."

"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?!" Jack asked excitedly.

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Jack took it from the Doctor for a better look.

"Ooh, **GENIUS**!" The Doctor's attention seems to be caught by something on the far wall, I let him be while Jack excitedly showed me the circuit board. "You didn't build this." Jack said to Margaret.

"I have my hobbies. A little tinkering . . ."

"No, no, no, I mean, you **REALLY** didn't build this. Way beyond you." Jack interrupted her.

"I bet she stole it." Mickey said.

"It fell into my hands." Margaret glared at him.

"Is it a weapon?" Rose asked Jack. He places the circuit board down on the floor.

"It's transport. You see - the reactor blows, the rift opens, phenomenal cosmic disaster, but **THIS** thing shrouds you in a forcefield, you have this energy bubble, zzhum, so you're safe. Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system." he told us.

"It's a surfboard?" I asked, skeptically while raising an eyebrow.

"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah." Jack shrugged.

"And it would've worked. I would've surfed away from this dead-end dump and back to civilization." Margaret muttered bitterly.

"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey asked, incredulous.

"Like stepping on an anthill." I glare and tried to marched over to her to slap her but Jack wrapped an arm around my waist to hold me in my spot.

"How'd you think of the name?" I heard the Doctor asked. I looked over to him, to find him staring up at a poster.

"What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh." Margaret said dismissively.

"I know, but how did you think of it?" He asked again.

"Chose it at random, that's all I dunno. Just sounded good. Does it matter?" She asked him confused.

"Blaidd Drwg." The Doctor turned around, brow furrowed.

"What's it mean?" I asked him.

"Bad wolf." I looked at him, haunted.

"But I've heard that before, Bad Wolf. I've heard that lots of time . . ." I trailed off as the times I heard it began to pop up.

"Everywhere we go. Two words. Following us. Bad Wolf." The Doctor looked just as haunted.

"How can they be following us?" I asked him. He stares into space for a few more seconds.

"Nah! Just a coincidence! Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind! Things to do." He claps his hands briskly. "Margaret, we're gonna take you home."

"Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?" Jack argued as he released me.

"I don't believe it! We actually get to go to Raxa . . ." I said gleefully before messing up on the name. The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Wait a minute!" I started walking slowly towards the Doctor, mouthing the word until I was sure I could say it right. "Raxacoricofallapatorius!" I cheered in delight.

"That's it!" The Doctor yelled joyfully. We throw our arms around each other and he picks me up and spins me around.

"I did it!" I said happily. I looked up into the Doctor's blue eyes and realized Rose was right, I am in love with the Doctor.

"They have the death penalty." There was a nasty silence, all smiles fade. "The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty. With no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor?" Margaret holds the Doctor's cold stare. "Take me home and you take me to my death."

"Not my problem." He said indifferently. He lead us out of the room and in the direction Des was at. Seeing how late it was, Rose decide to go home. We hugged and she reminded me to call mum. Once we arrive at Des, the Doctor open the door and we went in.

"This ship is **IMPOSSIBLE**! It's **SUPERB**. How do you get the outside around the inside?" Margaret asked in wonder.

"Like I'd give **YOU** the secret, yeah." The Doctor said, sarcastically.

"I almost feel better about being defeated. We never stood a chance. This is the technology of the Gods." I rolled my eyes and sat in the jumper seat.

"Don't worship me - I'd make a very bad God. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters . . . Jack, how we doing, big fella?" Jack was on the floor next to the console, wiring the board up to Des.

"This extrapolator's top of the range." He peers around at Margaret. "Where did you get it?"

""Oh, I don't know . . . some airlock sale . . .?" I snorted at that.

"Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power." Jack said.

"But we can use it for fuel?" The Doctor asked.

"It's not compatible . . . but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning." He told him.

"Then we're stuck here. Overnight." The Doctor grumped.

"So, we've got a prisoner in the police box." I smirked.

"You're not just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you . . ." Margaret smiled unpleasantly.

"Well, you deserve it." Mickey stated coldly.

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood. Which makes you better than me, how, exactly . . .?" Mickey had no answer to that. "Long night ahead . . ." The Doctor eyes her beadily as she takes her time walking around the console to sit elegantly in one of the seats. "Let's see who can look me in the eye." She fixes Mickey with a calm, collected gaze. He manages to hold it for a few seconds before averting his eyes uncomfortably. Next, she looked at the Doctor, who glances up only for a few seconds as he's still working busily, but still very aware of the atmosphere. She then turns to me. I hold her gaze much longer then she thought I would, she began to fidget around in her seat.

"I've looked death in the eye, Margaret. I'm pretty sure I can hold yours." She glared at me before looking away. I turn to see Mickey leave Des, so I get up and follow him out.

"S'freezing out here!" I said through chattering teeth.

"Better than in there." He nodded towards Des. "She does deserve it. She's a Slitheen. I don't care. It's . . . it's just . . . weird, in that box."

"Tell mum thanks for the passport but I didn't really need it." I grinned tentatively. Mickey smiles, obviously pleased. I nudge him playfully, and he nudges me back with a grin.

"I've been thinking, you know . . . we could . . . go and have a drink. Have a pizza or something. Just you and me." He said.

"That'd be nice." I nodded.

"And, I mean, if the TARDIS can't leave until morning, we could . . ." He trailed off. I nod to tell him I'm listening. He looks slightly bashful. ". . . go to a hotel? Spend the night? I mean, if you want to! I-I've got some money." I looked at him, slightly confused.

"Okay." I smiled.

"Is that all right?" He asked as though he can't believe it. I shrugged not really understanding what the big deal was.

"Why not."

"Cool. There's a couple of bars around here, we should give 'em a go." He said pleased before indicating Des. "And do you have to go and tell him?"

"It's none of his business." I said. The Doctor wasn't my father. I took his hand and we walked off towards the bars. We walked along the pavement past a restaurant, chatting. We were going down a set of steps near the bay. I was chatting away enthusiastically to him, even though he doesn't seem interested. "The Doctor took me to this planet a while back - it was much colder than this - they called it 'Woman Wept'. 'Cos, if you looked at it, right, from above, there's like this huge continent shaped like a woman crying. Oh my God, and we went to this beach, right, no people, no buildings, just beach like, a thousand miles across! And something happened with the sun and froze the sea! Like, in a split second in the middle of a storm, right, waves and foam, just frozen! All the way out to the horizon. Midnight, we walk underneath these waves a hundred feet tall, made of ice."

"I'm going out with Trisha Delaney." We were leaning on the railing near the water.

"Really? That's great, Mickey! She's from the shop, right?" I cheered for him.

"Yeah, Rob Delany's sister." He said with a upset look now.

"She's a bit on the big side, wasn't she?" I asked.

"She lost weight." He looks at me, trying to justify himself. "You've been away."

"Good for you, Mickey. She's nice from what I remember." He relaxes.

"So, tell us more about this planet, then." I smile and launched into a detail description tale. We went and sat on a bench. "So, what d'you wanna do now?"

"Don't mind." I shrugged lost in thought.

"We could ask about hotels . . ." He trailed off.

"What would Trisha say?" I asked, thinking about how word would get around that they thought we were dating.

"S'pose." He pauses and points. "There's a bar down there with a Spanish name or something."

"You don't even like Trisha, do you?" I asked him.

"Oh, is that right? What the hell do you know?" He asked me, angrily.

"I know you. So who do you think you're kidding?!" I exclaimed.

"At least I know where she is!" I looked at him in shock.

"This is about me?" I said confused.

"You **LEFT** me!" He stands with sudden fury. I went silent. "We were nice and happy. And then what, you give me a kiss and you run off with him and you make me feel like nothing, Jessa. I was nothing." I stare at him trying to figure out what was going on with him. His eyes begin to fill with tears. "I can't even go out with a stupid girl from a shop because you pick up the phone and I come running. I mean, is that what I am, Jessa? Standby?" I shake my head silently. "Am I just supposed to sit here for the rest of my life, waiting for you? Because I will."

"I'm sorry." I said quietly, not having anything else to say now that I finally realize what he meant. I should know along but I was to blind to see it. Mickey had a crush on me, a big one from what it sounded like and I simply didn't feel that way for him. He leans against the railing and I stay in my seat. He comes back over after a while and sits beside me, taking my hand in his. I stroked his hand on instincts.

"I'm not asking you to leave him, because I know that's not fair. But I just need something, yeah? Some sort of promise that when you **DO** come back, you're coming back for me." I spin around as I hear a low rumbling in the distance.

"Is that thunder?" I asked.

"Dose it matter?" Mickey asked, rudely.

"That's not thunder." I stated when the rumble got louder. A street light smashes and passers-by shriek. I bolted off in the direction of Des.

"Oh, go on then - run! It's him again, isn't it? It's the Doctor! It's always the Doctor! It's always gonna be the Doctor and it's never **ME**!" Mickey yelled after me, bitterly. I reached the Millennium Square, and I'm confronted with the sight of Des, the lightening shooting out of the top of her into the sky. My eyes widen and I flinch at another rumble. I begin to run across the Square to Des, more cracks appearing in the ground. I burst into Des.

"What is it? What's happening?!" I exclaimed in shock.

"Oh, just little ME!" Margaret said gleefully. She frees one of her arms from the skin-suit revealing the Slitheen claw. She grabs me around the neck. The Doctor darts forward. "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise." he stops and glares at her.

"I might've known." She moves us closer.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it." She looks to Jack. "You - fly boy - put the extrapolator at my feet." Jack hesitates. Margaret tightens her grip around my neck. Jack looks at the Doctor for help - he nods, so Jack does as he's told. "Thank you. Just as I planned."

"I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station." I said a bit strangulated.

"Failing that - if I were to be . . . arrested . . . then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B!" She pulls on a strand of my hair making me whimper in pain. "To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift." She looked around Des with awe. "And what power source it found . . . I'm back on schedule . . . thanks to you."

"The rift's gonna convulse - she'll destroy the whole planet." Jack said as he watched me with worried eyes.

"And you with it!" She pushes me aside so that she can stand on the extrapolator, but still keeps a hold of my neck. "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back boys . . . surf's up." A panel of the console directly in front of Margaret and I suddenly bursts open, and a blinding white light floods out. We look at it in surprise, then Margaret looks up at the Doctor on the other side of the console.

"Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart." He told her, calmly.

"So sue me."

"It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe." He said.

"It'll make wonderful scrap." She replied nastily.

"What's that light?" I asked in awe.

"The heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul." Breathing heavily, Margaret stares into the light, as if forgetting everything else. Her voice becomes dreamy and vague.

"It's . . . so bright . . ."

"Look at it, Margaret . . ."

". . . Beautiful . . ."

"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light." Margaret was transfixed by the light, and her grip on me relaxes. I stumble out of her hold but stay close enough to see the light. She continues to stare into the light, a blissful smile spreading across her face. Then, she looks up at the Doctor who smiles slightly.

"Thank you . . ." She said softly and genuinely. She's engulfed by the light, and when it clears, her body-suit flops on top of the extrapolator, empty. The Doctor immediately springs into action, darting around the console.

"Don't look - stay there - close your eyes!" But I don't close my eyes, watching as he slams down levers and the gap in the console closes, shutting out the light. I blinked a couple of times to clear the haze that had settled over my eyes. "Now, Jack, come one - shut it all down. Shut down!" Jack rushes over to the console. "Jessamine, that panel over there - turn all the switches to the right." We work busily, the console exploding with sparks. And finally, the shaking lessens and the lightening disappears. "Nicely done. Thank you, all."

"What happened to Margaret?" I asked the Doctor.

"Must've got burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence." Jack said.

"No. I don't think she's dead." The Doctor looked down at the body-suit.

"Then, where'd she go?" Jack asked.

"She looked into the heart of the TARDIS, and even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic - as Jessamine showed us earlier. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts . . ." He kneels down next to the skin-suit for a closer look. Jack and I follow suit, so all three of us are huddled around it. The Doctor reaches inside the skin-suit and pulls out an egg. "Here she is!"

"She's an egg?" I asked, confused.

"Regressed to her childhood."

"She's an egg?" Jack asked just as confused as me.

"She can start again! Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell 'em to bring her up properly, she might be all right!" The Doctor said.

"Or she might be worse." Jack pointed out.

"That's her choice." The Doctor told him. I looked up suddenly remembering.

"Oh, my God. Mickey —" I jump up and dash to the doors but pause, deciding that I should't go look for him. I turn back and walk over to where the Doctor is fiddling with the console. Jack on the other side.

"We're all powered up. We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy - we can go. If that's all right . . ." The Doctor trailed.

"That's fine." I said with a light tone.

"How's Mickey?" he asked carefully.

"He's okay. He's gone." I answered.

"D'you wanna go and find him? We'll wait . . ." He and Jack glance at one another. I shake my head.

"No need."

"Off we go, then. Always moving on . . ." The Doctor said briskly and pulls a lever.

"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorious. Now, you don't often get to say that." he smirks.

"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again! A second chance." I was staring off into space.

"He deserves better." I whispered to myself, a few tears falling. The engines rise and fall, and Des fades away.


	13. Bad Wolf

I groan beginning to regain consciousness. Slightly lifting myself off the floor, I look around with a just-woken-up look.

"What happened?" I blearily asked the crouching man beside me.

"It's all right . . . it's the transmat. Does your head in." I look around at my surroundings, blinking. "Get a bit of amnesia. What's your name?" He asked me. I frown as I barely remembered who I was and who I was with.

"Jessa. But . . . where's the Doctor?" The man ignored my question.

"Just remember - do what the Android says. Don't provoke it. The Android's word is law." I gave him a confused look.

"What d'you mean, android?" I look around as a voice calls out.

"Positions, everyone! Thank you!"

"Come on. Hurry up!" He helps me to my feet, "Steady, steady . . ." I hang on to him for support.

"I was travalling. With the Doctor and my brother, Jack. They wouldn't just leave me . . ." I tried to explain to him before getting interrupted by some woman.

"That's enough chat! Positions! Final call!" The woman was standing next to an inactive robot, which was being attended to by technicians. The robot stands on a platform around which are six podiums, there were other people milling around. "Good luck!" The man beside me smiles slightly in anticipation and looks at me.

"But I'm not supposed to be here." I stressed to him.

"Well, it says Jessa on the podium . . ." I look, and sure enough, my name lights up on one of the podiums. I stare. "Come on!" He dashes off and climbs up to stand behind his podium. Slowly, confused but with a dawning revelation, I take my place behind my own podium.

"Hold on . . . I must be going mad." I look around at my surroundings again, the technicians and that woman are still attending to the inactive robot. I lean forward to get a better look at the robot, my eyes widening in shock at what I seeing. "It can't be. This looks like the—"

"Android activated!" The Android springs to life, raising her face up.

"Oh, my Merlin. The Android. The _Anne Droid_." I whispered to myself, horrified.

" _Welcome, to 'The Weakest Link'!_ " with that the theme music started played.

"17 . . . 16 . . . 15 . . . thank you people, transmitting in 12 . . . 11 . . . 10 . . ." Agitated, I turn to the man that helped me.

"But I need to fine the Doc—" He pushed me back, impatiently.

"Just — shut up and play the game!"

"All right then. What the hell? I'm gonna play to win!" I smile, he looks distractedly at me, clearly thinking I'm slightly mad. 'Well, if people are giving me that look then the Doctor is rubbing off on me a little to much.'

"3, and cue!"

" _Let's play 'The Weakest Link_ '!" Music and lights come on. " _Start the clock_." That annoying clock music is played. " _Agorax - the name of basic food stuff is an anagram of the word 'beard'_?"

"Bread." He told her.

" _Correct. Fitch - in the Pan Traffic Calendar, which month comes after Hoob_?"

"Is it . . . Clavadoe?" she questioned.

" _No, Pandoff. Jessa, in maths, what is 258 minus 158_?"

"One hundred." I answered a bit pleased with myself but also confused.

" _Correct. Rodrick —_ "

"Bank." He said.

" _Which letter of the alphabet appears in the word 'dangle' but not in the word 'gland_ '?"

"E" He said after a second's thought.

" _Correct! Colleen - in social security, what D is the name of the payment given to Martian Drones_?"

"Default." She answered.

" _Correct. Broff - the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the remains of which famous Old Earth Institute_?"

"T—Touchdown." he stuttered.

" _No - Torchwood_." I laugh at these ridiculous questions. " _Agorax - in language, all five examples of which type of letter appear in the word 'facetious'_?"

"Vowels."

" _Correct. Fitch - in biology, which blood cells contain iron - red or white?_ "

"Um . . . white." I giggle.

" _No, red. Jessa - in the holovid series 'Jupiter Rising', the Grexnik is married to whom_?"

"How should I know?" I laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

" _No, the correct answer is Lord Drayvole_." The Anne Droid goes through a few more questions until it's time for us to vote for the weakest link. " _So, Jessa. What do you actually do_?"

"I'm an artist but I also travel about a bit. Like a tourist, I suppose." I said light-hearted, even relaxed now. Rodrick, holding up a card saying 'Fitch', glances sideways at me.

" _Another way of saying 'unemployed'_."

"No." I argued.

" _Have you got a job_?"

"Well, not really, no." I grumbled to it.

" _Then you_ **ARE** _unemployed! And yet, you've_ **STILL** _got enough money to buy leather clothes. Why Fitch_?"

"She got a few of the questions wrong." I glanced over to Fitch to see tears running down her cheeks. ". . . that's all." I said with a confused tone.

" _Oh, you'd know all about that_."

"Well yeah, but I can't vote for myself, so it had to be Fitch . . ." Fitch sobs silently. I don't understand, it's starting to make me feeling disturbed and even more confused. "I'm sorry . . . that's the game. That's how it works . . . I had to vote for someone." She ignores me and addresses the Anne Droid. She's terrified.

"Let me try again, it was the lights and everything - I couldn't think." she said desperately.

" _In fact, with three answers wrong, Broff was the weakest link in that round, but - it's votes that count_."

"I'm sorry. Oh, please . . . oh God, help me!" She looks wildly around at her fellow contestants, pleading for help. I look at her, still completely in the dark on what the hell is going on here. Rodrick looks away. Broff sobs silently into the board he's holding up. I glance back at the Anne Droid.

" _Fitch - you are the weakest link. Goodbye_!" The Anne Droid's mouth opens, and a gun protrudes from it. ' _What the fuck!_ ' I stare at it in shock, Fitch isn't on the list! She isn't on the list! Without a moments hesitation, it fires, a thick and fast bolt of yellow/gold light. It hits Fitch and she's gone. The gun retreats back into the Anne Droid's mouth. I stare, watching the smoke billowing where Fitch once stood. I don't understand, her name didn't show up on my list . . . does that mean she's not dead?

"And we've gone to the adverts. Back in three minutes . . ."

"Wassat? What's just happened?" I asked Rodrick, gesturing to the smoke trying to find out what's going on.

"She was the weakest link - she gets disintegrated." He wipes his board clean. I stare at him, uncomprehending for once. I make a small noise at the back of my throat. He rolls his eyes. "Blasted into atoms."

"I voted for her. This is sick." My words ring around the silent studio. The contestants glance at me. "All of ya, you're just sick! I'm not playing this —"

"I'm not playing!" Brodd whimpers, terrified. "I . . . I can't go it." The Anne Droid turns to him slowly. Broff leaps off his podium and tries to run for it. "I'm not — please, somebody let me —"

" _You are the weakest link_." She fires. Broff disappears in mid-run. " _Goodbye_." And the gun retreats back into her mouth. I'm staring, mouth open, shocked and absolutely disgusted. He didn't show up on my list either, none of these people are on my list. Rodrick shuffles, uncomfortable. The Anne Droid turns back to the rest of us.

"Don't try to escape. It's play . . . or die." I looked to him. ' _But no one is dying_.' We began to play again, round after round until we get to the voting. It was now, Colleen.

" _You are the weakest link. Goodbye_!" Rodrick averts his eyes, and with a blast of the gun, Colleen is gone.

"Going to break! Two minutes on the clock." I looked at the floor manager tired and fed-up. "Just a reminder - we've got solar flare activity coming up in ten." Rodrick wiped his board clean. I turn to him.

"Colleen was clever, she banked all our money. Why'd you vote for her?" I asked him.

"'Cos I want to keep you in! You're stupid! You don't even know the Princess Vossaheen's surname. When it comes to the final, I want to be up against you. So that you get disintegrated, and I get a stack-load of credits. Courtesy of the Bad Wolf Corporation . . ."

"What d'you mean? Who's Bad Wolf?" I questioned him. He turns to me as if he can't believe I don't know this.

"They're in charge. They run the Game Station." he told me.

"Why are they called Bad Wolf?" I asked him.

"I dunno, it's just a name. It's like an Old Earth . . . nursery rhyme sort of thing — what does it matter?" he asked me.

"I keep hearing those words everywhere we go. Bad Wolf." I said pensively.

JTDW

_Gwyneth in Sneed's kitchen._

_"The things you've seen . . . the darkness . . . the big bad wolf —"_

JTDW

_Van Statten's base._

_"Attention all personnel - Bad Wolf One descending."_

JTDW

_Town hall in Cardiff._

_"Blaidd Drwg . . ."_

_"What's it mean?"_

_"Bad Wolf."_

JTDW

_At home._

_'Bad Wolf' graffiti'd on the side of the TARDIS_

JTDW

_Station Five on Floor 139._

The Face of Boe on the Bad Wolf Channel.

JTDW

"Different times . . . different places like it's written all over the universe . . ." I stated haunted.

"What're you going on about?" Rodrick asked impatiently.

"If the Bad Wolf is in charge of this quiz, then maybe, I'm not here by mistake. Someone's been planning this." I told him. Again, we went through rounds of questions until we get to the voting. Agorax screams as the disintegrator beam shoots him until there's nothing left but dust. The gun retreats back into the Anne Droid's mouth and the light behind Agorax's name on his podium goes out.

" _That leaves Jessa and Rodrick - you're going head-to-head . . . let's play 'The Weakest Link'._ "

"Right, that's the end of tactical voting . . . you're on your own now." Rodrick said to me without looking at me.

" _Jessa, in geography, the Grand Central Ravine is named after which Ancient Britain City_?"

"Is it York?" I answered, unsure.

" _No, the correct answer is Sheffield. Rodrick, in literature, the author of 'Lucky' was Jackie who_?"

"Stewart." He took a wild guess.

" _No, the correct answer is Collins. Jessa, the oldest inhabitant of the Isop Galaxy is the Face of what_?"

"Boe! The Face of Boe!" I shouted with excitement. A few silence which the Anne Droid and Rodrick stare at me.

" _That is the correct answer. Rodrick, in history, who was the President of the Red Velvets_?" Our scores are equal.

"Hoshbin Frane."

" _That is the correct answer_." Rodrick went one-up. The Anne Droid turns her head sharply to me. " _Jessa, in food, the dish Gaffabeque originated on which planet?_ "

"Um . . . is it . . ." I had no clue what it was. The Anne Droid stares at me. I stare back, at a loss. ". . . Mars?"

" _Nope, the correct answer is Lucifer_." A nasty pleasure appears in Rodrick's eyes. "Rodrick, which measurement of length is said to have been defined by the Emperor Jate as the distance from his nose to his fingertip?" I glance at Rodrick. He doesn't know.

"Would that be a goffle?" He questioned.

" _No. The correct answer is a paab_." It turns to me again. " _Jessa, in fashion, Stella Pok Baint is famous for what_?"

"Shoes." I said, taking a firm but completely random guess.

" _No. The correct answer is hats._ " Rodrick's still one ahead and there's only one question left for each of us. " _Rodrick, in physics, who discovered the Fifteen-Dash-Ten Barric Fields_?"

"San . . . Hazeldine." He answered.

" _No, the correct answer is San Chen_." Last question and it's my turn. " _Jessa, in history, which Icelandic city hosted Murder Spree Twenty?_ " I stare at the Anne Droid, who stares right back at me. Rodrick glances at me. A tense silence.

"Reykjavik . . .?" Rodrick looks back at the Anne Droid anxiously. There's a few seconds pause.

" _No, the correct answer is Pola Ventura_." The game's finished and Rodrick is one point up. A ecstatic smile spreads across Rodrick's face.

"Oh, my God! I've done it!" He looks as me, without a trace of pity - even gloating. "You've lost!"

"I'm not meant to be here. I need to find the Doctor, he's got to here somewhere — he's always here! He wouldn't just leave me!" I exclaimed, terrified, beginning to panic.

" _Rodrick, you are the strongest link, you will be transported home with one thousand six hundred credits._ " The Anne Droid ignores me and speaks over me.

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much." Rodrick told it.

"This game is illegal! I'm telling you to stop!" I said strong but scared, leaning over her podium. Suddenly, the door bangs open. We all look over and watch the Doctor, Jack, and some girl barge in through the door that was so far away.

"Jessamine!" The Doctor yelled.

" _Jessa, you leave this life with nothing —_ "

"Stop this game!" Jack shouted.

"I order you to stop this game!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"We're live on air!" The Doctor runs across the wide expanse of floor as fast as he can. I hop of my podium and begin to run towards him.

" _You are the weakest link_."

"Look out for the Anne Droid, it's armed!" I warned him, running as fast as I could. There was only a mere feet of space between the Doctor and I before something hit me in the back. I reached out towards the Doctor with a light scream of his name, then everything was gone and darkness washed over me. After a few seconds, I begin to stir. I sit up and see a Dalek. "It can't be . . ." It glides towards me, I scramble to my feet and stumble backwards, gasping. "But you're dead . . . I saw you die!" It backs me against a wall. I try to edge sideways, but stopped by a plunger shooting out. Another Dalek enters an area on the spaceship, where several others are crowded.

" _Alert! Alert! We are detected!_ "

" _It it the Doctor! He has located us_!" I huddled against the foot of the wall, staring around at them all, my eyes wide. " _Open communications channel_!" The second Dalek swivels around to face me.

" _The female will stand. Stand_!" I stand up. The Dalek looks up and an image materializes in mid-air - the Doctor, Jack, two females and a male all staring back at me and the Daleks. The Doctor look is grim as he stares at the three Daleks flanking me with distaste.

" _I will talk to the Doctor_."

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" he waves at them mockingly, his fake grin fading rapidly.

" _The Dalek Stratagem nears completion. The Fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene_."

"Oh, really? Why's that then?" The Doctor asked.

" _We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated_." A little shaken up, I look up at the Doctor on the screen.

"No." As one, Jack and the other three people there, jerk their heads in his direction. A small grin begins to appear on my lips.

" _Explain yourself_." My grin wides as the Dalek clearly had not anticipated this answer.

"I said 'no'." He told them again.

" _What is the meaning of this negative_?"

"It means 'no'."

" _But she will be destroyed_." The Doctor stood in his passion.

"No! 'Cos this is what I'm gonna do - I'm gonna rescue her." I listen with pride while the others glance at him in awe. "I'm gonna save Jessamine Tyler from the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last **STINKING** Dalek outta the sky!" He told them, fiery, like a true hero, my hero.

" _But you have no weapons! No defenses! No plan_!"

"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death? Jessamine?" he grinned.

"Yes, Doctor?" I asked with my own smile.

"I'm coming to get you." He clicks something on his side and the communication line closes.

" _The Doctor is initiating hostile action_!"

" _The Stratagem must advance. Begin the invasion of Earth_!" The spin around wildly. I gasp but they take no notice of me, and I step of out of their way.

" _The Doctor will be exterminated_!"

" _Exterminate_!" The entire is filled with thousands of Daleks crying 'exterminate!' as one. I look around in terror at the huge, insane army.


	14. The Parting of Ways

The Daleks were in a state of panic. One of them rounds on me.

" _You know the Doctor! You understand him! You will predict his actions_!"

"I don't know!" I yelled at it. The Dalek glides dangerously towards me. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell ya."

" _Predict! Predict! Predict!_ " It shouted slightly hysterical.

" _TARDIS detected. In flight_." A second Dalek said, distracting the first one.

" _Launch missiles! Exterminate_!"

"You can't! The TARDIS hasn't got any defenses. You'll kill them!" I told them, desperately.

" _You have predicted correctly_." I began to tremble. The Daleks and I hear the sound of the TARDIS materializing. We look around, trying to find where it was landing. A breeze blows my hair as I turn to see the faint outline of the TARDIS slowly appearing around me. It surrounds both me and one of the Daleks. The Doctor's outline becomes more and more distinct, standing beside the console. When the engines have stopped, he turns to me.

"Jessamine! Get down!" I flounder a bit. The Dalek's eyepiece swivels round. "Get down, Jessamine!" I throw myself to the floor.

" _Exterminate_!" The Dalek fires at Jack, who's holding a gun. With it, he deflects the ray back at the Dalek, who explodes with a scream. I wince. Smoke billows from the remains of the Dalek, and I struggle to my feet.

"You did it!" I exclaimed. The TARDIS seems strangely silent after all the action. The Doctor comes over to me and without a single word, puts his arms around me in a tight embrace. "Feels like I haven't seen you in years." I told him as I tightly wrap my arms around him.

"Told you I'd come and get you." we pull away slightly.

"Never doubted it." The Doctor rolls his eyes.

"I did! You all right?"

"Yes. You?" I asked him.

"Not bad. Been better!" He goes over to the smoldering remains of the Dalek and peers at it while Jack approaches me.

"Hey, don't I get a hug?" He asked.

"Ahh, come here!" I open my arms for him.

"I was talking to him." He gestures to the Doctor. We laugh and throw our arms around each other. "Welcome Home!"

"Ohh, thought I'd never see you again." I whispered to him, so the Doctor wouldn't hear that I had doubted him. Jack holds on to me tighter, silently agreeing.

"Oh, you were lucky - I was just a one-shot wonder. Drained the gun of all its power supply. Now it's just a piece of junk." We watch the Doctor as he carefully examines the Dalek with his sonic screwdriver. The three of us bend over the Dalek, looking at it. The battle armour has been blasted away, giving us a clear view of the mutant inside.

"You said they were extinct. How come they're still alive?" I asked the Doctor.

"One minute they're the greatest threat in the universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space." Jack said.

"They went off to fight a bigger war . . . the Time War . . ." The Doctor examined it.

"I thought that was just a legend." Jack said surprised.

"I was there. The War between the Daleks and the Time Lords. With the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them." The Dalek smolders. "I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing." He said quietly.

"There's thousands of them now. We could hardly stop **ONE**. What're we gonna do?" I asked him.

"No good stood round here chin-wagging! Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers - let' go and meet the neighbors." He told us, cheerfully and heads off down the ramp.

"Doctor, don't go out there!" I called to him, urgently. But he opened the door and steps out.

" _Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate_!" The Daleks fire their bolts of energy, but to no avail - the rays reflect off the forcefield of the TARDIS, keeping the Doctor safe, as well as Jack and I as we just cautiously popped our heads out behind him. The Daleks give up, and the sound of their guns fades into silence. The Doctor raises his hands mockingly.

"Is that it? Useless! Nul points." He leans against the TARDIS. "It's all right, come on out. That forcefield can hold back anything." he told us.

"Almost anything." Jack stated.

". . . Yes, but I wasn't gonna tell them that. Thanks." I punch Jack in the arm.

"Sorry." He said, sheepishly. The Daleks are silent, watching them. The Doctor steps forward to address them.

"D'you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld? The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions . . . but I reckon that right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left. And that's fear." The Dalek's eyepieces twitch nervously. "Doesn't it just **BURN** when you face me? So, tell me - how did you survive the Time War?"

" _They survived through me_." The Doctor turns around, startled. He takes a few steps towards the voice, and a giant Dalek is illuminated, towering above all of us. The Doctor stares up at him in open-mouthed awe.

"Jessa . . . Captain . . . this is the Emperor of the Daleks." He said in quiet shock.

" _You destroyed us, Doctor. The Dalek Race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, falling through time, crippled but alive_."

"I get it." The Doctor ground out.

" _Do not interrupt_!"

" _Do not interrupt_!"

" _Do not interrupt_!" Jack and I flinch and wince, but the Doctor merely looks mildly annoyed, still strong and unwavering.

"I think you're forgetting something. I'm the Doctor. And if there's one thing I can do - it's talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So if anybody's gonna shut up, it's **YOU**!" He pronounces those last words with such fervor, that the Daleks shuffle backwards slightly. The Doctor turns back to the Emperor Dalek. "Okey dokie. So, where were we?" He asked, light again.

" _We waited here in the dark space, damaged but rebuilding. Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth. Harvesting the waste of humanity. The prisoners, the refugees, the dispossessed - they all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted_." I look at them with a extreme nasty taste in my mouth. " _The seed of the Human Race is perverted. Only one cell in billion was fit to be nurtured_."

"So, you created an army of Daleks out of the dead." The Doctor said.

"That makes them . . . half human." I told him and Jack.

" _Those words are blasphemy_!" it's voice rising.

" _Do not blaspheme_!"

" _Do not blaspheme_!"

" _Do not blaspheme_!"

" _Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek_." But the Doctor was looking around at them all, clearly disturbed.

"Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" He asked.

" _I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the God of all Daleks_!"

" _Worship him! Worship him! Worship him_!"

"They're insane! A hundred years hiding in silence - that's enough to drive anyone mad." He turned to Jack and I, then turns back to stare intently at the Daleks, walking towards them, even pitying them. "But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity." He shakes his head, sad for them. "You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever." He turns to the Emperor, "We're going."

" _You may_ **NOT** _leave my presence!_ " But we're already halfway towards the TARDIS, none of the Daleks in power to stop us.

" _Stay were you are_!" The Doctor grins at them mockingly before closing the door on them. " _Exterminate_!" They fire fruitlessly at the closed door, crying 'exterminate'. The Doctor leans his head against the door. I stare at him in worry, never seeing him look so helpless before. The TARDIS lands and we step out a second later, back on Station Five.

"Turn everything up. All transmissions, wide open, full power. Now! Do it!" The Doctor told the as he strides to the controls.

"What does that do?" A male programmer asked as he did what the Doctor ordered.

"Stops the Daleks from transmitting on board. How did you get on? Did you contact Earth?" The Doctor asked him.

"Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programmes." He told the Doctor.

"And the planet's just sitting there, defenseless." He notice the woman sitting in the corner. "Lynda, what're you still doing on board?" he rounds on the male programmer. "I told you to evacuate everyone."

"She wouldn't go."

"Didn't wanna leave ya." She smiles at him. I look her up and down, not liking her implication.

"There weren't enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn't be here . . . we've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero." the female programmer informed us.

"Oh, my God. The Fleet is moving. They're on their way." The male stares sat the screen. The Doctor beings to frantically rip armfuls of wires out of desk. We watch him, not knowing exactly what he's trying to do.

"Dalek plan - big mistake. Because what they left me with? Anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on - it's obvious. A great big transmitter - this station." He speaks quickly. Jack stares at him, brow furrowed in concentration, trying to work out what he's on about. "If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it - anyone?"

"You've gotta be kidding." Jack stated, finally working it out. I glance at them both, slightly confused.

"Give the man a medal!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"A Delta Wave?" Jack asked, incredulous.

"A Delta Wave!" The Doctor said excitedly.

"What's a Delta Wave?" I asked them cause unlike them, I lived a very un-futuristic life and needed things to be explain.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy. Fries your brain - stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbecued!" I grimaced.

"And this place can transmit a **MASSIVE** wave! Wipe out the Daleks!" I open my mouth to say something but I was interrupted by Lynda.

"Well, get started and do it then!" I shut my mouth again, disgruntled.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about - ooh - three days? How long till the Fleet arrive?" The Doctor asked.

"Twenty-two minutes." The Doctor frantically pulls another cable out from underneath the desk, stares at the end of it for a second, looks up and beams at us all.

"We've now got a forcefield so they can't blast us out of the sky." Lynda, the two programmers and I are gathered around the computer while Jack explains this to us. "But that doesn't stop the Daleks from physically invading."

"Do they know about the Delta Wave?" I asked Jack.

"They'll have worked it out at the same time. So, if they want to stop the Doctor, that means they've got to get to this level - 500." He indicates the illustrative diagram on the screen. "Now, I can concentrate the extrapolator around the top six levels, 500 to 495. So, they'll penetrate the station below that at level 494 and fight their way up."

"Who're they fighting?" The male programmer asked.

"Us." Jack stated, simply.

"And . . . what're we fighting with?" He asked.

"The guards had guns with bastic bullets - that's enough to blow a Dalek wide open." Jack told him.

"There's **FIVE** of us." The female programmer said skeptically.

"Jessa, you can help me. I need all these wires stripped bare." The Doctor called from where he's busying himself with the wires. I hesitated for a moment before Jack gave me a pleading look, I nodded softly and joined the Doctor.

"Right! Now there's **FOUR** of us!"

"Then let's move it! Into the lift! Isolate the lift controls!" The male and female programmer hurry off, and Lynda approaches the Doctor. He stands up to meet her.

"I-I just wanna say, um . . . thanks, I s'pose. And . . . I'll do my best!" She told him.

"Me too." They awkwardly try to decide on the best way of saying goodbye - at one point the Doctor looks as though he's going to kiss her forehead, but they settle for a handshake. They laugh embarrassedly, I glared slightly at them in the background. Lynda heads off, glancing back at the Doctor who watches her go. I look at the wires with a murdering look but decide not to comment, and strip a wire with unnecessary ferocity. I drop it to the ground as Jack approaches us and stands before us.

"It's been fun!" He said trying to keep it light. The Doctor smiles, I let out a shaky breath. "But I guess this is goodbye." He said serious, now. I bit my lip and shook my head, stepping towards him.

"Don't talk like that. The Doctor's gonna do it. You just watch him." I tried to convince us both, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Jessa-Rose . . ." He cups my face in both of his hands and looks at me intensely in the eyes. "You are worth fighting for." He places a lingering kiss on my forehead before turning to the Doctor. "Wish I'd never met you, Doctor!" Jack grins, cupping the Doctor's face. "I was much better off as a coward." And he places a kiss onto the Doctor's lips. Jack places a hand on each of our shoulders, then points forward to the exit. "See ya in hell." He runs off. The Doctor and I watch him leave, before I turn back to the Doctor.

"He's gonna be all right." I lied to myself, the Doctor looks at me. No reply. "He'll be all right." I chanted to myself though know the truth was the exact opposite. The Doctor and I were sitting on the floor in the space between the middle row of desks, working busily in a companionable silence. We were now the only two people left on Floor 500.

"Suppose . . ." But I don't finish the sentence, already knowing the answer.

"What?" The Doctor asked after a moment.

"Nothing." I sighed.

"You said 'suppose'." He pressed.

"No, I was just thinking . . . I mean, obviously you can't but . . . you've got a time machine. Why can't you just go back to last week and warn them?" I asked him.

"Soon as the TARDIS lands in that second, I become part of events. Stuck in stye timeline." He said not looking up from his work.

"Yeah, thought it'd be something like that . . ." I said, expecting that answer. I carry on working.

"There's another thing the TARDIS could do . . . it could take us away. . ." I glance briefly up at him with a small smile. "We could leave. Let history take its course. We go to Marbella in 1989."

"Yeah, but you'd never do that." I said softly, smiling.

"No, but you could ask." His eyes meet mine, I don't reply. "Never even occurred to you, did it?" He asked with quiet affection.

"No, I could never ask that." I told him. He just smiling at me like I mean the world to him. The computer whirrs in the background and the Doctor looks over at it, suddenly alert.

"The Delta Wave's started building. How long does it need?" We both leap to our feet and rush over to the computers. The Doctor plonks himself in one of the chairs and I peer over his shoulder. He presses a few buttons, stares at the monitor . . . and his face falls.

"Is that bad?" I ask but there's no reply. His head sinks to his knees. "Okay, it's bad. How bad is it?" The Doctor suddenly perks up and leaps to his feet, eyes bright.

"Jessamine Tyler, you're a **GENIUS**!" I smile, confused on what I was a genius for. He place a smacking kiss on my forehead. "We can do it! If I use the TARDIS to cross my old timeline . . . yes!" He shoots off towards the TARDIS. I frown after him, knowing for a fact that he couldn't do that. He was planning something and it evolved around me. I slowly followed after him. We go through the doors and over to the console. He indicates to a lever. "Hold that down and keep position." But I don't move towards the lever. He turns to me, "Jessamine." I stare at him for a moment with watery eyes, walking over to him and stood in front of him. "We don't have —" I frame his face with my hands and brought our lips together for a quick kiss before pulling back, moving over to the lever.

"What's it do?" I asked breathless from the kiss. I look up to him and he stares at me, eyes glistening before getting busy at the computer.

"Cancels the buffers. If I'm very clever - and I'm more than clever, I'm **BRILLIANT** \- I might just save the world. Or rip it apart . . ."

"I'd go for the first one." I hold the lever down.

"Me too. Now, I've just got to go and power up the Game Station. Hold on!" He runs out of the TARDIS again, full of energy. The door shuts behind him, I let go of the lever and slowly made my way to the doors, tears streaming down my cheeks. I looked down before looking back up in determination. I throw myself against the doors.

"Doctor, let me out!" I demanded. The TARDIS begins to fade away. "Let me out! Doctor, let me out!" I hammered my fist on the door, but I know there's no point now. The TARDIS was falling through the time vortex taking me away from the one man I learned to love and newly found little brother to their deaths.

"This is Emergency Programme One." I spin around when I hear the Doctor's voice but only to be met with a hologram. "Jessamine, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing." I stare, wide-eyed. "We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape."

"No!" I moved towards the hologram.

"And that's okay. Hope it's a good death." I stop at the top of the ramp, just staring at him. "But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home." I glared at him.

"I won't let you." I rush up the remainder of the steps. The Doctor's hologram continues to stare ahead of him, not looking at me.

"And I bet you're fussing and moaning now - typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do: let the TARDIS die." My mouth drops open ever so slightly in distress. "Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it; no one will even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world will move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all. One thing." His head turns to face me, his eyes full of compassion - as if he knows I'm there. His voice sounds less distorted. "Have a good life. Do that for me, Jessamine. Have a fantastic life." I just watch, can do nothing but look on as the hologram flickers before fading altogether.

"You can't do this to me." I stride over to the console, "You can't." I rage at the TARDIS, slamming down every available button and lever, yelling in desperation. "Take me back! Des, take me back!" The pain evident in my voice as I rattle at the controls, having no effect whatsoever on her. The engines eventually die down and grind to a halt. I abandon the console, run across the room, flinging the doors open and rush outside. I come to a halt when I find myself looking up at the block of flats where I live on a grey and dismal day. I run back inside, refusing to accept what's happened, that this is the end.

"Come on, fly. Come on, **HELP ME**!" I rattle the controls, raging at the TARDIS some more but to no avail. I step slowly out of the TARDIS doors, defeated. I lean against the side as Mickey appears.

"I knew it! I was all the way down Clifton's Parade, and I heard the engines and I thought 'there's only one thing that makes a noise like that'." He strides towards me, "What is it?" He asked me concerned, as he gets closer and sees I'm in tears. I say nothing as I reach out blindly to him, clinging to him with my eyes screwed up against the pain and the tears. Mickey takes me to a chip shop close by and calls mum and Rose to meet us there. They sat down at the table that Mickey and I sat at, once they got there. They order food for all of us and begin to chat, while I look out the window despondently.

"And it's gone up-market, this place. They're doing little tubs of coleslaw, now." They talked as they ate their food, I left mine untouched. I gazed out of the window still, not taking in a single word of the conversation. "It's not very nice. Tastes a bit sort of clinical."

"Have you tried that new pizza place down Minto Road?" Mickey glances at me.

"What's it selling?" Rose asked.

"Pizza."

"Oh, that's nice." I gaze out the window with a faraway look in my eyes, looking incredibly downcast. "Do the deliver?"

"Yeah!" Mum takes a look at me, and then abandons all pretense of having an ordinary conversation.

"Oh, Jessa. Have something to eat . . ." She said, pleading.

"Two hundred thousand years in the future, he's dying, and there's **NOTHING** I can do." my voice trembling, eyes not leaving the window.

"Well, like you said - two hundred thousand years - it's way off!" She exclaimed. I finally looked at her.

"But it's not! It's now! That fight is happening right now, and he's fighting for us! For the whole planet, and I'm just sitting here eating chips!" I yelled angry and upset, going back to looking out the window.

"Listen to me." I turn to face her, reluctantly falling silent. "God knows I have hated that man, but right now, I love him - and d'you know why? Because he did the right thing. He sent you back to me." She returns her attention back to the chips, as though the matter is closed.

"But what do I do every day, mum? What do I do? Get up - catch the bus - go to work - come back home - eat chips and go to bed? Is that it?" I asked her, desperate.

"It's what the rest of us do." Rose stated, coldly.

"But I can't!" I shouted.

"Why, 'cos you're better than us?" Mickey questioned me.

"No, I didn't mean that!" I shouted, frustrated. I paused, trying to calm myself down. Mum watches me. "But it was . . . it was a better life. And I - I don't mean all the travelling and . . . seeing aliens and spaceships and things - that don't matter. The Doctor showed me a better way of living your life." I said, quietly meeting their eyes but speaking earnestly. I looked towards Mickey and Rose, "You know, he showed you too." I stated passionately. "That you don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say no. You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away, and I just can't —" I break off, unable to carry on. I kick the table in frustration and leap to my feet, running out of the chip shop in despair. I was sitting on a bench, staring into space. Mickey stands over me.

"You can't spend the rest of your life thinking about the Doctor." He told me.

"But how do I forget him?" I asked him.

"You've got to start living your own life." I look up at him. "You know, a proper life, like the kind he's never had. The sort of life you could have with me." My attention has already wandered. I noticed the words 'BAD WOLF' written in huge letters on the playground floor in spray paint. Astonished, I stand up and walk over to them. Mickey follows. I, then, realize that 'Bad Wolf' is graffiti'd all over the playground walls as well.

"Over here. It's over here as well!" I dash over to the wall to examine the graffiti.

"That's been there for years! It's just a phrase! It's just words!" He calls after me.

"I thought it was a warning . . . maybe it's the opposite. Maybe it's a message. The same words written down now and two hundred thousands years in the future. It's a link between me and the Doctor! Bad Wolf here . . . Bad Wolf there!" I said excitement building.

"But if it's a message, what's it saying?" Mickey asked me.

"It's telling me I can get back! The least I can do is help him escape!" I called back to him, already running off. "All the TARDIS needs to do is make a return trip. Just . . . reverse." I said hopeful and lively.

"Yeah, but we still can't do it." Mickey said.

"The Doctor said the TARDIS is telepathic. She's alive. She can listen." But she hasn't since we landed here.

"It's not listening now, is it?" Mickey asked.

"We ned to get inside her. Last time I saw you, with the Slitheen, this middle bit opened and there was this light. The Doctor said it was the heart of the TARDIS. If we can open it, we can maker contact. I can tell her what to do!" I told him.

"Jessa . . ."

"Mm?"

"If you go back, you're gonna die." He said quietly.

"I'll be fine. And there's nothing left for me here." I said, completely confident.

"Nothing?" He echoed.

"No." I answered him. I look away, avoiding Mickey's eye. That hurt him so much and I know it, but it had to be said.

"Okay, if that's what you think . . . let's get this thing open." He said with dignity. Mickey get's his car and hooks a chain to it and the TARDIS before getting back into the car. I stand by it, watching it.

"Faster!" I called to him. The console refuses to budge. "It's not moving!" The chain becomes more and more taut but still to no avail. I chew on my lip with anticipation. The chain shudders then snaps. I yelp in frustration, kick the console and lean on it, head down. Defeated again. I slump down in one of the chairs next to the TARDIS console, broken, defeated, and staring into space. Mum standing over me with Rose behind her.

"It was never gonna work, sweetheart. And the Doctor knew that. He just wanted you to be safe." Mum said consoling, gentle.

"I can't give up." I told her.

"Lock the door. Walk away." She said.

"Dad wouldn't give up." I stated to her.

"Well, he's not here, is he?" I stare at her in silence for a few seconds. "And even if he was, he' say the same."

"No, he wouldn't." Mum stares at me. "He'd tell me to try anything. If I could save the Doctor's life . . . try anything."

"Well, we're never gonna know." Mum muttered to me.

"Well, I know. 'Cos I saw him again. I saw Dad again."

"Don't be ridiculous." She said quietly.

"The Doctor took me back in time, and I saw Dad again." I sat up.

"Don't say that." Mum backed up a little.

"Remember when Dad died . . .? There were two people with him." My voice begins to crack under the pressure of my suppressed tears. Mum just stares at me, finding it hard to take in. "Two girls. A blonde and brunette. They held his hands . . ." No reply. Mum still just staring. Frustrated, tears run down my cheeks. "You saw them from a distance, mum! You saw them! Think about it! That was Rose and me. You saw us —"

"Stop it." She said abruptly.

"That's how good the Doctor is —"

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Mum shouted now, not wanting to hear this. She runs from the TARDIS, crying with Rose behind her, leaving me alone. My whole body was shaking with grief as I sob my heart out. After a while I walk out of the TARDIS and go over to Mickey, who was leaning against his car. I join him, looking at the TARDIS.

"There's gotta be something else we can do." He said.

"Mum was right . . . maybe we should just lock the door and walk away." I whispered.

"I'm not having that. I'm not having you just - just give up now. No way. We just need something stronger than my car . . . something bigger . . . something like that!" We both turn around as we hear the roar of an engine. We see a huge recovery truck drive around the corner, driven by mum with Rose in the passenger seat. I grin in amazement. It comes to a halt and mum and Rose climb out. They stride towards us.

"Right. You've only got this until six o'clock, so get on with it." Mum told us.

"Mum, where the hell did you get that from?" I asked amused.

"Rodrigo. He owes me a favor. Never mind why, but you were right about your dad, sweetheart. He was full of mad ideas, and this is exactly what he would've done. Now, get on with it before I change my mind." She chucks the keys to Mickey, who catches them with a nod of thanks. I turn back to the TARDIS and Mickey hurries to the door of the pickup truck. One end of the chain was now fixed to the truck and the other to the to the console. Mum and Rose watches by the TARDIS doors. Mickey at the wheel and me at the console. The chain was stretching and stretching.

"Keep going!" I shouted out to mum and Rose.

"Put your foot down!" She calls to Mickey.

"Faster!" I yelled.

"Give it some more, Mickey!" The metal is beginning to creak.

"Keep going!" The chain becomes more and more taut, the metal creaking even more loudly in protest. "Keep going!" Finally, the catch rips off and the panel flies open. A blinding white light pours out. I step forward to look into the light, and it reflects onto my face. A breeze blows my hair and suddenly, the light flows into my eyes in two golden streams. The doors slam shut and the engines groan into life. The TARDIS dematerializes. I could feel the TARDIS hurtle through the time vortex with unnatural speed. The golden time vortex streams into my eyes as I stare into it as though hypnotized, a breeze blowing my hair. The TARDIS materialized back on Station Five and the doors fly open. I stood in the doorway and step out. The light curls around me when I step forward. The Doctor stumbles backwards, falling to the ground.

"What've you done?" He asked, scared. I gaze down at him, my eyes full of the light of the time vortex. When I speak, my London accent has vanished.

"I looked into the TARDIS. And the TARDIS looked into me."

"You looked into the Time Vortex - Jessamine, no one's meant to see that." the Doctor said.

" _This is the abomination_!"

" _Exterminate_!" The Dalek fires at me, I hold up my hand. The bolt freezes and reverses back into the gun. The Doctor loos at it in amazement. He stares up at me intensely.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words . . ." The words 'BAD WOLF CORPORATION' written high on the wall. I wave my hand. "I scatter them in time and space." The words 'Bad Wolf' rise from the wall and float away. "A message to lead myself here."

"Jessamine, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now." The Doctor said urgently. I stare straight ahead as though I hadn't heard him. "You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're gonna burn." He stated wildly concerned. Suddenly looking at him.

"I want you safe." The Doctor was taken aback. He stares. I have the traces of tears on my cheeks. "My Doctor. Protected from the false God."

" _You cannot hurt me. I am immortal_."

"You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space - every single atom of your existence, and I divide them." I raise my hand. The Dalek in the centre is separated into golden, liquid-like particles. "Everything must come to dust . . . all things. Everything dies." I look to the side, and the Daleks lined up there are reduced to golden particles. "The Time War ends."

" _I will not die! I will not die_!" I stand with my arms raised, starting straight ahead of me.

"Jessamine, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go." The Doctor told me.

"How can I let go of this? I bring life." I said hushed, blissful.

"But this is wrong! You can't control life and death!" He exclaimed, terrified.

"But I can. The sun and the moon . . . the day and night." I look at him again. I felt at peace with the power flowing through me, as if I've done this before.

"The power's gonna kill you and it's my fault." he lowers his head with anguish.

"I can see everything." The Doctor raises his head again. "All that is, all that was, all that ever could be." The Doctor stands up abruptly, looking down at me as if suddenly, he understands.

"That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"No. It feels natural." I suddenly look up at him, scared. "Why does it feel this way?" He walks closer to me.

"Come here."

"What am I?" He takes my hands.

"I think you need a Doctor." We step slowly around to face each other. The Doctor gazes into my eyes, then gently, carefully, leans down and presses his lips against mine. As we kiss, I feel the vortex flow out of me and into the Doctor. ' _No_!' I pulled away before he could take the last of it. We gaze at each other for a few moments before my eye's flutter close and I fall into the Doctor's arms, unconscious. I awaken, disorientated.

"What happened?" was the first thing that I asked.

"Don't you remember?" the Doctor asked, middy surprised.

"Yes, I remember just wanted to see if you'd lie to me and tell me what you want me to think happened." The Doctor stares at me and I stare back.

"I know you kept a bit of the vortex." I looked away for a moment before looking back at him.

"I was fine, you didn't have to do that." The Doctor looks away. I look down at my hands, seeing simmers of golden light going through my veins. I look back up and notice him watching me. He smiles.

"Jessamine Tyler." He gives a small laugh. "I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona - not the city Barcelona, the planet. You'd love it. Fantastic place - they've got dogs with no noses." He laughs at his own joke. I giggle, half rolling my eyes. "Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny!"

"Then, why can't we go?" I asked.

"Maybe you will. And maybe I will. But not like this." He doesn't elaborate, but goes back to looking at the monitor with a vague smile on his face.

"You're not making sense!" I said, standing.

"I might never make sense again! I might have to heads. Or no head!" He laughs. I nod with a bemused smile on my face. "Imagine me with no head! And don't say that's an improvement . . ." I grin, eyes twinkling. "But it's a bit dingy, this process. You never know what you're gonna end up with —" Suddenly, he's propelled backwards with a blast of golden light. He clutches his stomach as though he's been punched. I rush forward, full of concern.

"Doctor!"

"Stay away!" He said urgently. I stop, staring at him, eyes side. The Doctor winces in pain.

"Doctor, tell me what's going on."

"I absorbed most of the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that!" he said still trying to keep his tone light despite being in pain. He screws up his eyes in pain, I stare at him with concern. "Every cell in my body's dying." he said serious, now.

"Can't you do something?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm doing it now! Time Lords have this little trick, it's . . . sort of a way of cheating death. Except . . ." He looks into my eyes. "It means I'm gonna change." I stare at him in realization, ' _Regeneration . . . He's regenerating_!' "And I'm not gonna see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face." he laughs, not wanting to scare me. "And before I go . . ."

"Don't say that." I said, upset. This was my fault, he was regeneration because of me.

"Jessamine. . ." I back down, listening. "Before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic." He smiles at me, so proud. "Absolutely fantastic." I look back at him, unsmiling, still upset. "And d'you know what?" I shake my head. The Doctor grins. "So was I." Finally, I smile, nodding. The Doctor smiles widely back at me for the last few moments before suddenly, he convulses and orange energy explodes from his skin, blasting out of the neck of his jumper, the sleeves of his jacket, and the bottoms of his trousers. I stagger backwards, shielding my eyes from the heat ad light, but I can't look away. I stare transfixed, as gradually, the Doctor's hair lengthens, his face changes until the energy eventually dies away and a completely new man is standing before me, still wearing his last self clothes. He looks slightly surprised for a moment, before turning to look at me. I let out a gasp, my eyes widening to the size of tea saucers.

"Hello! Okay—oo." He gulps. I took a few steps away from him, though staring at him with fascination as he runs his tongue over his teeth, brow furrowed. "New teeth. That's weird. So, where was I? Oh, that's right! Barcelona."He grins. I just stare at him with undisguised shock and a little bit of fear. Standing in front of me was not only the Doctor, but also, Barty Crouch Jr.


End file.
